THE  OCEAN 

ROVERS 


LOUIS  ROUSSELET. 


UNIV.  OF  CALIF,  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELEb 


//. 


"  At  last  Dominic  slowly  opened  his  eyes."  —  Page  320. 


THE  OCEAN  ROVERS; 


OR, 


TWO    CABIN    BOYS. 


BY 

LOUIS   ROUSSELET, 

AUTHOR    OF    "  THE    CONSTABLE'S     SON." 


£2Sttt)  JFortg=sfi  illustrations. 


BOSTON: 
CHARLES  E.  BROWN, 

PUBLISHER 


UNIVERSITY  PRESS: 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGE. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  A  NIGHT  ON  CAPE  CERBERUS 9 

II.  THE  RESCUE 20 

III.  DEATH  OF  THE  SHIPWRECKED  MAN  .....  33 

IV.  A  START  IN  LIFE 45 

V.  A  MISTAKE 57 

VI.  A  FALSE  FRIEND 67 

VII.  BASTIEN  MOREAU'S  SECRET 83 

VIII.  CAPTAIN  GREEN 93 

IX.  THE  SIGNAL  ON  CAPE  BOJADOR 107 

X.  PENGUIN 119 

XI.  CAPTURE  OF  THE  BLUE  BOY 134 

XII.  AN  UNEXPECTED  ALLY 145 

XIII.  A  BOLD  STROKE 157 

XIV.  THE  LAST  FIGHT 167 

XV.  THE  WRECK 180 

XVI.  THE  END  OF  THE  ATLANTA 193 

XVII.  THE  DESERT  ISLAND 203 

XVIII.  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GLENELG 220 

XIX.  MR.  FRIDAY 234 

XX.  MELBOURNE 250 

XXI.  OLD  SCHEMES  AND  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE     .     .     .  260 

XXII.  THE  GOLD  MINE 279 

XXIII.  EXPIATION 304 

XXIV.  BEFORE  THE  SHERIFF 325 

XXV.  FRENCH  CREEK 343 

XXVI.  "ALL'S  WKI.I.  THAT  ENDS  WELL"   .  353 


21323BO 


X-. 


FOV'"'''-^'^ 
I 

Wj   ^:£NV?M  ' 

''.^-. 


"  Two  men  were  sitting  on  the  cliff." 


THE   TWO   CABIN  BOYS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A   NIGHT   ON   CAPE   CERBERUS. 

NOT  a  breath  of  wind  rippled  the  surface  of  the  sea. 
The  day  had  been  burning  hot,  the  heavens  were  like 
brass ;  but  as  the  sun  plunged  beneath  the  liquid  horizon, 
light  flakes  floated  upwards,  and  soon  swelling  to  clouds, 
concealed  the  sinking  luminary.  Spreading  in  every  direc- 
tion, like  the  branches  of  a  gigantic  tree,  these  clouds  rap- 
idly covered  the  whole  western  sky,  which  kindled  into-  a 
vast  and  sublime  conflagration. 

The  sun  had  disappeared  from  sight,  but  the  radiance 
of  its  setting  still  tinged  the  ragged  cliffs  of  Cape  Cerberus 
with  a  thousand  varied  hues. 


10  A  NIGHT  ON   CAPE  CERBERUS. 

This  rocky  giant,  the  advance  sentry  of  the  Pyrenees, 
guards  the  French  and  Spanish  frontier.  The  waves  of  the 
Mediterranean  bathe  its  tremendous  spur,  while  its  jagged 
peaks  extend  to  the  Alberes  Mountains,  dividing  Koussillon 
from  Catalonia. 

In  old  times  no  sailor  ever  passed  the  cape  without 
throwing  into  the  sea  some  offering  for  the  tutelary  genius 
of  the  spot,  for  every  one  knew  that  it  was  thus  that 
Orpheus  appeased  the  guardian  of  Hell,  and  this  Cerbe- 
rus of  the  sea  seemed  no  whit  less  terrible.  No  vessel 
could  gain  the  safe  shelter  of  Venus'  lovely  harbor,  the 
present  Port  Vendres,1  without  weathering  these  danger- 
ous rocks,  compared  in  fable  to  the  teeth  of  a  ferocious 
dog.  In  our  day,  steamboats  pass  scornfully  by  this  Cer- 
berus ;  but  more  than  one  sailing  vessel,  flying  the  storm, 
is  still  crushed  in  its  hideous  jaws. 

On  the  day  of  which  we  write,  the  guardian  of  the  sea 
slumbered,  and  the  waves  played  silently  amid  his  teeth. 
A  few  white-sailed  feluccas  carelessly  skirted  along  the 
line  of  rocks,  borne  onward  by  the  light  breeze  which  had 
sprung  up. 

Two  men,  sitting  on  the  cliffs  which  overhung  the  shore, 
seemed  lost  in  admiration  of  the  sublime  spectacle  of  the 
setting  sun.  Both  wore  the  elegant  dress  of  the  Catalan 
mountaineer, — the  velvet  jacket,  long  red  cap,  tight-fitting 
breeches,  and  gaiters  with  bright  metal  buttons.  Their 

1  Portus  Veneris,  the  Port  of  Venus. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  11 

feet  were  shod  with  sandals  made  of  rope,  most  conve- 
nient for  mountain  climbing,  and  quite  indispensable  in  a 
region  where  there  are  no  roads  but  those  worn  by  wander- 
ing goats.  Yet  these  men  were  heavily  loaded,  to  judge 
by  the  packages  which  they  had  thrown  down  beside 
them  when  they  paused  to  rest. 

One  of  them  was  also  equipped  with  a  rifle,  which  now 
lay  at  his  feet.  A  short,  thick  black  beard  encircled  his 
face,  which  was  as  brown  as  that  of  an  Arab,  and  was 
lighted  up  by  a  pair  of  wild,  fierce  eyes.  Although  small 
of  stature,  his  whole  person  was  expressive  of  strength  and 
vigor. 

His  companion  was  almost  a  child,  a  youth  of  fifteen 
years,  and  offered  the  strongest  contrast  to  him.  Long, 
silky,  chestnut  curls  hung  about  a  face  of  almost  femi- 
nine oval,  and  were  it  not  for  his  dare-devil  look,  he  might 
have  passed  for  the  prisoner  rather  than  the  comrade  of 
the  gloomy  ruffian. 

"Come,  Daniel,"  suddenly  exclaimed  the  latter,  inter- 
rupting the  revery  in  which  the  youth  seemed  lost ;  "  the 
sun  has  set.  It  is  time  we  were  on  our  way.  Night  will 
soon  overtake  us.  In  a  few  moments  it  will  be  as  dark 
as  a  pocket.  Had  I  foreseen  such  weather,  we  might  have 
taken  the  other  road  without  fear  of  pursuit.  We  risk 
our  necks  by  trying  to  cross  Cape  Cerberus  on  such  a 
night  as  this." 

"This  road   does   not   frighten  me  a  bit,"  replied  the 


12  A  NIGHT   ON   CAPE   CERBERUS. 

youth.  "  I  have  gone  over  it  twenty  times  on  the  darkest 
nights ;  to  be  sure,  I  had  an  easy  conscience.  But  cheer 
up,  Mateo,  the  stars  will  lend  us  their  light." 

"  The  stars  ?  You  '11  need  good  eyes  to  see  them  to- 
night. Look  down  at  that  ship ;  you  can  just  see  the  sails  ; 
it  dances  as  if  the  sea  ran  high  already  out  yonder.  In 
an  hour,  I  shall  wish  it  well  off  Cape  Cerberus ;  for  the 
mistral l  will  blow,  and  it  won't  be  pleasant  so  near  the 
rocks." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  said  Daniel.  "  Come  on,  let  us 
be  off."  And,  stooping,  he  picked  up  his  load,  which  he 
bound  firmly  about  his  loins  with  a  belt,  in  such  a  way 
that  it  should  not  interfere  with  his  entire  freedom  of  mo- 
tion. His  companion  did  the  same,  slung  his  rifle  over  his 
shoulder,  and  the  two  travellers  set  out  on  their  journey. 

As  Mateo  supposed,  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun  had 
scarcely  faded  when  the  mistral  began  to  blow,  and  the 
sky  was  covered  with  black  clouds.  Soon,  rain  began  to 
fall  in  fine  streams  and  the  darkness  became  profound. 

Any  other  than  a  mountaineer,  finding  himself  on  Cape 
Cerberus  at  such  a  tune,  must  have  perished,  for  the  rain 
made  the  rocks  slippery  and  darkness  hid  the  precipices. 
The  least  misstep  might  be  fatal  Even  our  two  travel- 
lers advanced  with  the  utmost  precaution,  and,  after  trav- 
elling two  long  hours,  found  themselves  scarcely  a  league 
removed  from  their  last  halting-place.  Heavily  loaded 

1  Northwest  wind,  which  blows  very  severely  in  the  Mediterranean. 


1  The  least  misstep  might  be  fatal"  —  Page  13. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  15 

as  they  were,  they  were  yet  forced  to  make  tremendous 
exertions  to  scale  the  rocks,  and  to  stand  upright  against 
the  wind  on  the  slippery  ascent.  Both  of  them  had  fallen 
more  than  once,  but  luckily  without  sustaining  serious 
injury.  They  were  utterly  exhausted. 

"May  the  deuce  take  the  custom-house  officers,  the 
police,  and  all  their  confounded  brood ! "  muttered  Mateo. 
"  I  can  go  no  farther.  Let  us  stop  here." 

Without  loosing  his  burden,  he  dropped  down  upon  a 
rock,  streaming  with  rain. 

"Are  we  near  the  frontier?"  asked  Daniel,  throwing 
himself  upon  the  ground. 

"  We  must  have  crossed  it  quarter  of  an  hour  ago.  We 
shall  be  safe  and  sound  at  Banyuls  by  eleven  o'clock." 

"  But  are  n't  we  safe  and  sound  here  ? "  said  the  boy. 

"Of  course;  or  at  least  pretty  nearly  so.  Still,  you 
know  that  we  must  keep  our  eyes  open  till  the  end  of  our 
journey  is  reached." 

"  Oh  ! "  cried  Daniel,  "  I  begin  to  repent  that  I  listened 
to  your  proposals  and  followed  you." 

"Come,  come,  a  little  courage!  Hang  it,  what  do  you 
mean?  The  business  isn't  always  so  bad.  We  don't 
often  have  such  wretched  luck.  The  weather  is  severe  —  " 

"  Oh,  what  do  I  care  for  the  weather ! "  interrupted  the 
boy.  "  But  when  I  think  that  I  may  be  arrested  at  any 
moment,  —  I,  Daniel  Eiva  —  " 

"  There,  let 's  have  no  more  of  these  airs,"  said  the  ruffian 


16  A  NIGHT   ON   CAPE   CERBERUS. 

angrily.  "They  won't  go  down  with  me.  Everybody 
hereabouts  knows  what  a  scamp  Daniel  Kiva  is.  Don't 
every  one  tell  of  the  tricks  that  you  played  at  Perpignan 
School,  where  your  father  managed  to  get  you  taken  in  ? 
and  don't  we  all  know  that  you  were  expelled  in  dis- 
grace ?  Come,  come,  my  fine  fellow,  you  must  lower  your 
crest ! " 

"  Yes,  that  is  all  very  true,"  replied  the  young  man ;  "  I 
am  a  wild  fellow ;  I  deserve  all  the  evil  that  is  said  of  me ; 
but  I  have  never  before  committed  any  action  which  would 
bring  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  my  father,  the  most  re- 
spected man  in  Castel,  while  now — " 

"  Well,  do  you  mean  to  say  that  I  am  less  honest  than 
•you  are,  or  less  respectable  than  your  father?  Every  one 
salutes  Mateo  Puig  as  he  goes  along  the  road;  perhaps 
because  they  fear  him,  but  they  salute  him  all  the  same. 
Besides,  the  Puigs  are  quite  as  good  a  family  as  the  Rivas ; 
and  we  are  not  disgraced,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  because  we 
do  a  little  smuggling.  The  government  robs  us  when  it 
sells  tobacco  for  twice  what  it  is  worth.  Well,  we  go  into 
Spain  to  buy  it  at  a  lower  price.  What  harm  is  there  in 
that  ?  At  the  same  time,  we  bring  a  little  back  for  our 
friends.  Is  there  anything  dishonest  in  sharing  with  your 
friends?  To  be  sure,  the  custom-house  officers  want  to 
take  away  our  tobacco  without  paying  us  for  it ;  and  as 
that  wouldn't  be  agreeable  to  us,  we  keep  as  far  away 
from  them  as  possibla  That  don't  strike  me  as  any- 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  17 

thing  out  of  the  way.  And  then,  when  we  deliver  our 
tobacco  to  Mr.  Destory  at  Banyuls,  he  will  give  us  each 
ten  dollars,  and  with  these  ten  dollars  you  can  go  to  town 
and  buy  yourself  a  new  jacket,  play  the  dandy,  eh !  Is  n't 
that  worth  taking  a  little  trouble  for,  Master  Daniel? 
Speak  out  and  give  us  your  opinion." 

"I  think,"  said  the  boy,  "that  I  was  a  fool  to  be  led 
astray  by  you,  and  that  this  will  be  the  last  as  well  as  the 
first  tune  that  I  follow  you  into  the  mountains." 

"  People  always  say  that  at  the  time,  but  they  change 
their  mind." 

"  I  swear  that  I  will  never  change,"  eagerly  cried  the 
youth,  "  and  I  shall  always  repent  that  I  ever  violated  the 
laws  of  my  country." 

"Ah  ha!"  exclaimed  the  smuggler,  "any  one  would 
know  that  you  were  a  scholar,  you  use  such  high-sound- 
ing phrases.  Eepent,  indeed ;  that  was  .  the  only  thing 
wanting!"  And  the  smuggler  burst  into  a  fit  of  hoarse 
laughter. 

At  the  same  moment  a  whistle  echoed  shrilly  through 
the  mountains.  At  the  sound,  Mateo  turned  pale.  Start- 
ing to  his  feet,  he  seized  Daniel  by  the  arm,  muttering 
in  accents  of  stifled  rage :  "  Plague  take  you  and  your  evil 
forebodings !  If  you  had  n't  my  tobacco  on  your  back,  I 
don't  know  that  anything  would  prevent  me  from  throw- 
ing you  into  the  sea." 

The  terrified  boy  had  risen  and  stood  motionless,  striv- 

2 


18  A  NIGHT  ON   CAPE   CERBERUS. 

ing  to  pierce  the  darkness  behind  him,  as  if  to  fly  in  that 
direction. 

"You  needn't  look  behind  you,  my  boy,"  said  Mateo 
savagely.  "  I  know  the  tricks  of  the  excisemen.  If  we 
turn  back,  we  shall  only  be  caught  by  the  Spanish,  instead 
of  the  French,  and  they  would  scarcely  be  any  more  civil 
to  us." 

"  Then  what  shall  we  do,  dear  Mateo  ? "  said  the  trem- 
bling boy. 

"Ah!  I'm  your  dear  Mateo,  am  I,  now  that  I  alone 
can  save  you.  Listen,  there  is  but  one  way  of  escape.  Do 
you  know  the  path  down  to  Banyuls,  which  runs  along 
the  edge  of  the  cliff?" 

"  Perfectly  well" 

"  Very  well,"  replied  the  smuggler,  "  it  must  be  close  at 
hand.  We  must  find  it,  and  then,  once  there,  take  to  our 
heels  and  put  our  best  foot  foremost,  at  the  risk  of  break- 
ing our  necks;  but  remember,  whatever  happens  to  you, 
do  not  stop." 

A  few  minutes  later,  climbing  over  the  rocks,  the  two 
had  found  the  path ;  then  hastened  forward  as  best  they 
might.  It  was  a  mad,  reckless  flight,  over  rocks  and  roll- 
ing stones;  but  Daniel  never  paused,  flying  rather  than 
running,  and  leaving  his  less  active  comrade  far  behind. 

Suddenly,  close  beside  him,  a  loud  voice,  issuing  from 
the  thicket,  called  out,  "  Halt,  or  I  fire ! " 

"  Run ! "  cried  Mateo  at  the  same  moment. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  19 

Unnecessary  advice,  for  the  boy,  spurred  on  by  terror, 
never  paused.  Two  shots  flashed  across  his  path,  and  a 
bullet  hissed  by  his  ear,  but  he  still  ran  on.  Another 
shot  was  heard  instantly,  followed  by  a  piercing  cry.  The 
youth  no  longer  ran,  but  plunged  madly  forward.  Soon 
he  heard  the  noise  of  pursuing  footsteps.  His  heart  beat 
wildly,  his  legs  tottered  beneath  him;  he  knew  that  he 
should  be  arrested.  A  voice  fell  upon  his  ear,  —  the  voice 
of  Mateo ! 

"  Halt ! "  cried  the  smuggler,  who  soon  caught  up  with 
him.  "  Oh,  you  can  rest  a  little  now,  they  are  not  on  our 
track.  The  rascal  who  fired  at  you  has  paid  for  his  auda- 
city, and  his  comrade  has  his  hands  full  in  taking  care 
of  him,  without  troubling  himself  about  us." 

"  What,"  exclaimed  the  terrified  boy,  "  have  you  killed 
him?" 

"Perhaps  so;  what  if  I  have?"  was  the  indifferent 
answer.  "  He  began  it." 

"  Ah,  wretch,  miserable  assassin ! "  indignantly  cried 
Daniel;  and  with  an  abrupt  motion  tearing  off  the  bur- 
den bound  upon  his  back,  he  threw  it  at  the  feet  of  the 
astonished  Mateo,  and  resumed  his  flight,  sobbing  as  he 
vanished  in  the  darkness. 


"  Daniel  seized  a  hanging  rope." 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   RESCUE. 

THE  village  of  Castel,  the  southernmost  point  of  France, 
consists  merely  of  a  few  poor  fishers'  huts,  built  among  the 
rocks  of  Cape  Cerberus,  and  at  the  head  of  a  sheltered  bay, 
half  a  league  from  Banyuls. 

Thither  Daniel's  father,  Peter  Eiva,  retired  with  his 
wife  and  only  child,  after  thirty  years'  service  as  keeper 
of  the  lighthouse  at  Cette.  He  resumed  the  work  of 
his  boyhood,  fishing ;  and  the  produce  of  his  toil,  together 


THE    TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  21 

with  a  small  pension  of  six  hundred  francs  made  him  the 
richest  man  of  the  village,  as  his  kindness,  his  courage, 
and  his  honesty  made  him  the  most  respected. 

Thanks  to  the  influence  of  friends,  he  obtained  a  free 
scholarship  for  his  son  at  Perpignan,  hoping  eventually  to 
get  him  a  position  in  the  navy,  a  service  in  which  he 
had  many  friends.  We  already  know  how  his  hopes  were 
disappointed. 

Daniel,  being  expelled  from  school  for  misconduct,  re- 
turned to  the  village,  where  his  father  strove  to  continue 
his  education,  and  to  prepare  him  for  a  sailor's  life.  But 
the  boy  was  as  .rebellious  to  his  father  as  he  had  been 
to""  his  teachers.  He  usually  spent  his  days  roaming  in 
the  mountains,  setting  traps  for  birds,  which  he  sold 
in  town;  or  if  the  game  proved  shy,  lying  on  a  rock 
in  the  sunshine  for  hours  at  a  time,  busied  only  with 
whistling  and  building  castles  in  the  air.  For  if  Daniel 
was  lazy,  he  was  none  the  less  ambitious.  The  society  oj 
his  school-mates,  who  belonged  to  wealthy  families,  made 
his  home  seem  very  poor  and  wretched,  and  he  dreamed 
of  rising  far  above  it,  and  gaining  power  and  riches. 
He  cared  little  what  means  he  employed  to  reach  this 
end,  so  he  might  be  his  own  master  and  have  no  one  but 
himself  to  obey. 

And  yet  he  was  by  no  means  a  bad  boy.  He  included 
his  beloved  parents  in  all  his  dreams  of  sudden  grandeur, 
especially  his  poor  mother,  whose  blind  love  was  his  best 


22  THE    RESCUE. 

protection.  When  he  came  home  after  one  of  his  reckless 
escapades,  he  was  easily  melted  by  his  father's  reproaches, 
promised  his  mother  that  he  would  reform,  and  for  a  few 
days  went  fishing  with  his  father,  or  devoted  himself  to 
his  lessons,  if  the  weather  were  bad ;  but  his  manly  dis- 
position never  long  endured  this  unwonted  restraint. 

"  That  boy  is  the  worst  fellow  in  the  village,"  said  the 
priest  to  Daniel's  mother ;  "  he  '11  come  to  some  bad  end. 
He  has  never  once  been  to  church  since  he  left  school, 
although  I  often  meet  him  in  the  street  on  Sunday, 
hanging  about  the  tavern,  and  indeed  I've  seen  him 
go  in." 

The  mother  burst  into  tears  at  the  recital  of  her  boy's 
misdeeds,  and  his  father  swore  that  if  there  were  not 
a  speedy  change  for  the  better,  he  would  break  every  bone 
in  the  body  of  his  son  and  heir.  In  spite  of  severe  punish- 
ment, often  repeated,  Daniel  did  not  improve ;  and  at  the 
tune  of  which  we  write,  he  had  been  absent  from  home 
for  three  days,  his  parents  not  knowing  what  had  become 
of  him. 

The  storm  now  raged  furiously.  The  clouds,  driven  by 
the  wind,  scudded  across  the  sky,  and  torrents  of  rain  fell 
amid  the  darkness  of  the  night.  The  roaring  sea  broke 
fiercely  on  the  shore,  the  foaming  breakers  seeming  every 
moment  about  to  sweep  away  the  poor  huts  of  Castel. 
The  fishers  shut  up  within  listened  anxiously  to  the  vari- 
ous terrible  sounds  of  the  tempest,  rejoicing  that  the  fine 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  23 

weather  during  the  day  had  not  tempted  them  to  set 
sail. 

Peter  and  Antoinette  Eiva,  seated  by  the  fire,  sad  and 
alone,  awaited  the  return  of  their  son.  "You  were  too 
hard  on  him,  Peter,"  said  the  mother  at  last,  interrupting 
a  long  silence.  "  Daniel  is  very  hot-headed.  God  knows 
whether  we  shall  ever  see  him  again." 

"  What  would  you  have,  wife  ? "  replied  Peter,  "  I  must 
correct  him.  It 's  as  painful  to  me  as  it  is  to  you,  but  it 's 
my  duty ;  I  can't  let  him  go  to  the  bad  without  one  effort 
to  stop  him." 

"  True,"  said  the  mother,  "  but  matters  are  not  so  seri- 
ous yet.  Daniel  is  thoroughly  honest ;  his  only  fault  is 
that  he  gives  us  so  much  worry  and  pain." 

"  Yes,  I  admit  that ;  his  faults  are  the  faults  of  youth, 
but  they  soon  lead  to  worse  things,  and  a  boy  is  more  easily 
led  astray  in  this  village  than  in  any  other  that  I  know  of. 
The  frontier  is  so  near  at  hand,  and  swarms  with  ne'er-do- 
wells  who  may  carry  off  our  boy  any  day.  I  must  put  a 
stop  to  it ;  and  to  cut  short  his  frolics,  I  have  decided  to 
send  him  to  sea.  When  he  has  served  a  few  years  on 
some  good  merchantman,  and  has  had  a  few  smart  lashes 
from  the  cat-o'  -nine-tails,  he  will  learn  what  discipline 
means." 

"He  is  very  young  still,"  timidly  remarked  the  poor  , 
mother,  who  shivered  whenever  her  husband  mentioned 
this'  dreadful  subject.     She  shed  many  tears  when  she  had 


24  THE    RESCUE. 

to  send  her  sou  to  school,  but  it  was  too  much  for  her  to 
bear,  to  send  him  to  sea.  Who  knew  if  the  sea  would  ever 
restore  him  to  her  ! 

"  Too  young,  at  fifteen  ? "  replied  Peter.  "  At  his  age, 
I  had  served  as  cabin  boy  for  two  years  on  board  my 
father's  coasting-vessel.  Let  me  tell  you,  I  only  regret  not 
sending  him  sooner.  I  have  done  everything  that  I  could 
to  smooth  his  entrance  into  a  career  which  cost  me  a  hard 
struggle  and  in  which  I  was  never  able  to  attain  any  rank. 
I  sent  him  to  school,  and  accordingly  he  thinks  himself  a 
gentleman  ;  that  was  his  ruin.  He  must  go  at  once  !  " 

Antoinette  made  no  answer;  she  bowed  her  head  and 
tears  trickled  down  her  cheeks".  Her  husband,  more  deeply 
moved  than  he  was  willing  to  show,  began  to  poke  the  tire 
violently.  At  that  moment  a  sudden  blast  of  wind  shook 
the  house,  which  trembled  in  every  beam  as  if  it  would 
fall  to  pieces.  The  door  flew  open  and  the  Alight  was 
blown  out,  while  sparks  from  the  fire  flew  about  the 
room. 

"  Good  Heavens ! "  cried  Antoinette,  springing  to  her  feet 
in  alarm. 

Peter  rose  calmly,  closed  the  door  and  barred  it,  then  re- 
lighted the  candle. 

"  I  thought  it  was  he,"  said  the  wife.  "  Lord  !  what  a 
storm  !  Where  can  he  be  in  this  weather  ? " 

"  Don't  be  worried  about  him,"  replied  Peter.  "  He  is 
doubtless  quietly  seated  in  some  tavern,  playing  checkers 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  25 

with  some  other  rascal.  I  feel  much  more  concerned  about 
that  fine  ship  which  we  saw  sailing  by  this  evening ;  if  it 
has  not  yet  reached  Port  Vendres,  it  will  be  in  a  bad  fix, 
overtaken  by  such  weather  so  near  the  coast." 

"  My  poor  boy ! "  murmured  the  mother.  And  silence 
again  reigned  within,  while  without  the  awful  voice  of  the 
tempest  was  heard  in  deafening  accents. 

The  poor  woman  listened  eagerly  to  every  sound.  "  I 
think  some  one  knocked  at  the  door,"  said  she  suddenly. 

"  Nonsense,"  said  Peter,  "  it  is  the  wind."  But  at  the 
same  moment,  several  hasty  knocks  shook  the  thick 
wooden  shutter. 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  cried  the  fisherman. 

"  It  is  I,  Daniel,"  was  the  reply. 

With  one  bound,  Antoinette  reached  the  door  and  opened 
it.  Her  son,  his  face  haggard,  his  clothes  dripping  with 
water,  rushed  into  the  room.  His  mother  stretched  out 
her  arms  to  him,  exclaiming  :  "  Oh !  the  poor  fellow ! " 
But  he,  without  pausing,  hastened  to  his  father,  who  had 
not  risen  from  his  seat,  and,  throwing  himself  on  the 
ground,  clasped  his  knees,  sobbing  convulsively. 

The  youth  usually  returned  with  downcast  look  and 
piteous  mien ;  but  he  had  never  shown  such  ready  repen- 
tance before.  The  fisherman  was,  therefore,  greatly  struck 
by  this  strange  demeanor,  and  said  in  a  severe  tone: 
"  Well,  Daniel,  is  this  the  way  to  return  to  your  father's 
house  ? " 


26  THE    RESCUE. 

"Forgive  me,  forgive  me,  for  I  am  very  unhappy!" 
sobbed  the  boy. 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  What  have  you  done  ? "  con- 
tinued Peter. 

"Promise  that  you  will  have  mercy,"  said  the  youth, 
"  and  I  will  tell  you  all" 

"  Forgive  him ! "  entreated  the  mother,  clasping  her 
hands. 

"I  must  hear  the  whole  story  first,"  cried  the  angry 
father,  who  had  risen  and  seized  a  stick,  as  if  about  to 
execute  summary  justice.  "  Then  we  shall  see  what  I  will 
do."  Just  at  this  moment  a  dull  explosion  echoed  above 
the  tumult  of  the  storm ;  at  the  same  time  the  door  was 
again  thrown  open,  showing  on  the  threshold  a  fisherman 
dressed  in  oil-skins,  a  sou'wester  on  his  head. 

"  Peter  Eiva,"  cried  the  man,  "  don't  you  hear  the  min- 
ute guns  ?  There 's  a  ship  going  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  off 
Cape  Cerberus.  Quick,  to  the  boats !  Time  presses ;  we  are 
only  waiting  for  you."  And  he  shut  the  door  behind  him. 

"Come,  wife,  make  haste,  give  me  my  tarpaulins  and 
boots.  I  must  be  off,"  said  Peter. 

Daniel  sprang  to  his  feet.     "  And  I  ? "  he  asked. 

"  You  ?    You  are  no  sailor,"  said  his  father  dryly. 

"  Forgive  me,  father ! "  begged  the  boy.  "  Take  me  with 
you!" 

"Very  well,  so  be  it.  Come  on,  we'll  postpone  our 
reckoning  until  to-morrow."  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  27 

the  two  were  ready  for  any  weather  and  left  the  house. 
Antoinette  called  after  them  a  warning  to  be  prudent,  and 
then,  as  they  went  out  into  the  squall,  she  threw  herself  on 
her  knees  to  pray  for  them. 

Every  able-bodied  man  in  Castel  was  on  the  beach, 
helping  to  launch  two  large  ships'  boats,  furnished  with 
ropes,  grapnels,  and  life-preservers.  One  of  these  boats, 
manned  by  four  sailors,  was  commanded  by  John  Cerdagnol, 
the  pilot ;  the  other  awaited  its  captain,  Peter  Eiva.  No 
sooner  did  he  appear,  followed  by  his  son,  than  John  called 
out:  "Make  haste  and  get  under  way,  Peter!  There  is 
no  time  to  lose ;  they  have  ceased  to  fire  the  cannon,  and 
all  their  lights  are  out  but  the  lantern  on  the  foretop- 
mast." 

A  faint  red  star  was  indeed  dimly  visible,  shining  through 
fog  and  darkness,  and  seeming  to  mark  the  position  of  the 
luckless  vessel. 

Peter  and  his  son  were  soon  in  their  places,  and  both  boats 
rapidly  rowed  away  from  the  beach,  —  no  easy  matter,  as 
the  wind  was  against  them  and  the  waves  ran  tremendously 
high.  Finally,  the  surf  was  passed,  and  the  men  left  be- 
hind on  shore  lost  sight  of  the  boats  amid  the  tempest. 

How  wonderful  are  the  courage  and  self-sacrifice  of  the 
unknown  heroes  who  daily  risk  their  lives  to  rescue  their 
fellow-men  !  Not  one  of  the  twelve  who  thus  braved  the 
dangers  of  a  furious  sea,  on  a  coast  bristling  with  hidden 
rocks  and  reefs,  hesitated  for  an  instant.  Each,  at  the  first 


28  THE   KESCUE. 

signal  of  danger,  hastened  to  meet  death  if  need  be,  with 
calm  abnegation,  with  a  deep  and  simple  sense  of  duty,  —  a 
feeling  which  no  soldier  can  know  in  spite  of  all  his  hero- 
ism, because  he  serves  a  less  noble  cause. 

To  reach  the  rock  upon  which  the  unfortunate  ship  was 
stranded,  the  boats  must  first  stand  out  to  sea  to  avoid 
being  swept  away  by  the  current,  and  then  drift  slowly  in 
among  the  rocks.  Notwithstanding  the  skill  and  coolness  of 
the  two  pilots,  and  in  spite  of  the  zeal  of  the  rowers,  it  was 
a  difficult  task.  The  brave  fellows  wrestled  with  the  waves 
for  nearly  an  hour  before  they  saw  the  wreck  in  front  of 
them,  now  dark  and  silent.  No  light  shone  from  the  hulk, 
no  human  voice  issued  from  its  breast.  The  implacable  sea, 
rushing  upon  its  motionless  prey,  fast  upon  the  rocks, 
wrapped  it  in  a  whirlpool  of  foaming  surge. 

It  seemed  a  bold  undertaking  to  approach  this  lifeless 
mass,  now  the  most  dangerous  of  spots.  And  yet  the 
sailors  resolved  to  make  the  attempt.  While  John  Cerda- 
gnol  ran  along  on  the  starboard  side,  Peter  Eiva  daringly 
steered  his  boat  for  the  larboard  wall.  Getting  close  up  to 
it,  he  saw  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  board  the 
vessel,  whose  stern,  half  under  water,  was  washed  by  huge 
waves.  He  then  ordered  his  men  to  cry  aloud  in  concert 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  shipwrecked  sailors ;  but  no 
voice  responded  to  their  repeated  shouts.  John  joined 
them,  after  making  the  circuit  of  the  ship  with  no  better 
success. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  29 

"  We  are  too  late,"  cried  Peter.  "  The  poor  fellows  could 
not  wait  for  our  tardy  aid.  God  grant  they  may  have 
managed  to  reach  the  shore ! " 

"  Scarcely  likely,"  replied  John.  "  If  the  poor  wretches 
took  to  their  boats,  as  seems  most  likely,  for  the  davits  are 
empty,  and  if  they  made  for  the  Cape,  they  must  needs 
have  been  ground  to  bits  on  the  rocks.  You  know  as  well 
as  I  do  that  the  sea  beats  on  the  cliff  with  such  fury  that 
it  washes  away  great  pieces  at  every  storm." 

"  In  that  case,  my  brave  fellows,"  said  Riva,  with  a  sigh, 
"  nothing  is  left  for  us  but  to  return  home  as  best  we  may. 
Let  us  all  shout  together  once  more  to  make  sure  that  no 
one  remains  on  board."  A  long,  loud  shout  rose  from  the 
two  boats,  but  not  a  sound  responded.  "  Give  way,  boys ! " 
said  Peter. 

Daniel  rose.  "  Shall  we  leave  this  ship  so  readily  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  What  would  you  have  us  do  ? "  replied  his  father.  "  I 
warrant  ycru  that  by  to-morrow  morning  Cerberus  will 
have  devoured  her,  and  all  her  planks  will  be  upon  the 
beach." 

"  That  is  not  what  troubles  me,"  said  Daniel ;  "  but  if 
some  one  should  happen  to  have  been  left  on  board,  some 
sick  person  for  instance,  ought  we  to  leave  him  in  this 
heartless  way  ? " 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Peter ;  "  but  unfortunately  there  is 
not  a  soul.  The  poor  fellows  are  all  gone,  and  I  cannqt 


30  THE   RESCUE. 

risk  the  lives  of  our  comrades  on  so  ill-founded  a  supposi- 
tion. You  see  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  board  the 
vessel" 

"  Let  me  try,  father." 

"  But  it  would  be  sheer  madness,  certain  death." 

"You  know  how  nimble  I  am,"  persisted  Daniel. 
"  Bring  your  boat  close  under  the  bowsprit.  I  will  surely 
find  some  fragment  of  shroud  by  which  I  can  haul  myself 
up  to  the  deck." 

"  Let  the  boy  go,"  cried  John,  stepping  in.  "  Then  he  11 
feel  easy,  and  he  may  perhaps  save  the  ship's  cat ;  it  will 
bring  him  luck." 

Peter,  without  another  word,  brought  his  boat  under  the 
bowsprit,  which  the  position  of  the  ship  threw  high  into 
the  air.  Watching  a  favorable  moment,  Daniel  seized  a 
hanging  rope,  and,  pulling  himself  up  hand  over  hand,  dis- 
appeared in  the  rigging. 

"  Make  haste ! "  cried  his  father.    "  We  cannot  wait  long." 

Once  on  deck,  Daniel,  clinging  to  the  fragments  of  the 
masts  which  covered  it,  contrived  to  gain  the  forecastle. 
The  door  of  the  storeroom  was  open.  He  put  his  head  in 
and  called  loudly  several  times.  Nothing  stirred.  The 
young  man  then  followed  the  nettings,  and  with  some  diffi- 
culty reached  the  quarter-deck,  where  the  state-rooms  of 
officers  or  passengers  would  be.  The  mainmast  in  its  fall 
had  broken  in  the  roofing  of  the  cabin-deck,  and  a  tangled 
mass  of  cords  obstructed  the  entrance.  Daniel  crept  in  on 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  31 

all  fours  and  renewed  his  shouts.  The  whistling  of  the 
wind  through  the  gaping  partitions  was  his  only  answer. 

"  Decidedly  there  is  no  one  here,"  muttered  the  boy ; 
and  he  was  about  to  retrace  his  steps,  when  he  fancied  he 
heard  a  feeble  groan.  He  eagerly  listened,  and  soon  dis- 
tinguished plainly  these  words,  uttered  in  a  faint  voice: 
"Help!  help!" 

He  could  no  longer  doubt  that  his  heart  had  inspired 
him  aright ;  some  poor  wretch  had  been  abandoned  here. 
Proceeding  cautiously,  he  made  his  way  into  the  room,  which 
was  filled  with  ruins  and  rubbish  of  all  sorts.  "Help!" 
again  cried  the  voice. 

"Courage!  I  am  here,"  replied  Daniel.  "Can  you  not 
come  to  me  ? " 

"  I  cannot  move,"  murmured  the  unknown.  "  I  think  my 
chest  is  crushed." 

Guided  by  the  sound,  the  young  man  advanced;  soon 
his  outstretched  hands  touched  a  human  body,  half  buried 
beneath  broken  timbers.  After  great  effort,  he  succeeded 
in  freeing  the  poor  fellow ;  then,  taking  him  in  his  arms, 
dragged  him  out. 

"  Help !  help ! "  he  cried  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  The 
noise  of  the  storm  drowned  his  voice.  He  tried  to  lift  the 
unknown  man  upon  his  back,  but  his  strength  was  insuffi- 
cient. At  last,  by  straining  every  nerve,  he  contrived  to 
raise  the  heavy  body,  and  gently  dragged  it  to  the  bow.  He 
then  heard  voices  calling :  "  Daniel !  Daniel !  " 


32  THE    RESCUE. 

"  Help ! "  replied  the  boy.    "  I  Ve  got  one !  Help !  " 

A  moment  later  two  sailors  stood  beside  him.  They 
made  the  shipwrecked  man  fast  to  a  rope,  and  carefully 
lowered  him  into  one  of  the  boats.  Daniel  left  the  ship, 
silently  resumed  his  seat  on  the  thwart,  and  they  started 
for  the  shore. 

Day  was  dawning,  the  east  was  tinged  with  rosy  hues ;  as 
if  the  approaching  sun  set  the  storm  to  flight,  the  wind  fell 
and  the  sea  grew  calm.  On  the  beach  at  Castel,  the  wives 
of  the  sailors  with  the  old  men  and  children,  anxiously 
awaited  the  life-boats.  Their  crews  were  hailed  with  loud 
cries  of  joy.  The  men  were  surrounded  and  embraced; 
questions  and  answers  crowded  one  upon  another.  The 
poor  sufferer  was  landed  with  the  greatest  precautions. 

"  Let  him  be  taken  to  my  house,"  said  Peter  Biva.  And 
the  fisherman  went  silently  home,  followed  by  his  son, 
whom  the  good  mother  smothered  with  kisses  and  tears. 
When  they  reached  the  door  he  turned  gravely,  and,  open- 
ing his  arms,  said  in  a  voice  broken  by  emotion :  "  Come  to 
my  arms,  Daniel !  Whatever  you  may  have  done,  I  for- 
give you." 


"Take  the  jK>rtfolio." 

CHAPTER  III. 

DEATH   OF   THE   SHIPWRECKED   MAN. 

THE  castaway  was  soon  snugly  lodged  in  the  best  room 
which  the  house  afforded,  the  master's  own  chamber. 
Peter  Riva  rubbed  him  vigorously,  made  him  swallow  a 
good  glass  of  brandy,  put  him  to  bed,  and  then  sent  a  sailor 
in  all  haste  to  the  neighboring  town,  to  bring  the  doctor 
back.  The  wounded  man,  reviving  momentarily  on  reach- 
ing the  house,  had  exchanged  a  few  words  with  Peter,  and 
immediately  fallen  into  an  alarming  state  of  torpor  and 
unconsciousness.  The  fisherman  directed  his  son  to  watch 
the  patient,  while  he  himself  went  with  friends  to  see  if 
any  portion  of  the  cargo  of  the  wreck  might  be  saved. 

Daniel  accordingly  seated  himself  by  the  bedside.  His 
mother  had  gone  out  to  buy  some  necessary  supplies.  He 


34  DEATH  OF   THE   SHIPWRECKED   MAN. 

was  alone,  and  at  last  free  to  think ;  but  the  events  of  this 
awful  night  had  followed  each  other  in  such  rapid  succes- 
sion that  his  weary  brain  could  scarcely  consider  them  in 
due  order.  The  ascent  of  Cape  Cerberus,  the  storm,  the 
meeting  with  the  custom-house  officers,  Mateo's  crime ! 
That  crime !  How  should  he  ever  dare  confess  his  share 
in  it  to  his  father  ?  How  could  he  excuse  himself  ?  And 
if  he  should  be  pursued  ?  If  he  were  arrested  ?  Ah !  why 
did  he  not  find  death  in  the  bosom  of  the  waves !  Was  it 
not  with  this  hope,  as  much  as  from  a  desire  to  atone  for 
his  fault,  that  he  had  so  boldly  risked  his  life  to  save 
the  unfortunate  man  lying  by  his  side  ?  But  his  courage 
could  not  purchase  his  pardon.  The  officers  would  surely 
come  and  carry  him  off  to  prison ;  and  then,  what  a  dis 
grace  to  his  father,  what  a  grief  to  his  mother !  At  this 
thought  he  hid  his  face  in  his  hands  and  gave  free  course 
to  the  tears  that  choked  him. 

A  faint  voice  made  him  lift  his  head.  The  wounded 
man  had  opened  his  eyas,  and  was  gazing  fixedly  at  him. 

"  What  ails  you,  my  child  ? "  said  the  stranger. 

"  Nothing,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  All  that  has  happened 
to-night  has  upset  me,  and  I  don't  know  why,  but  I  can't 
restrain  my  tears." 

"That's  very  natural,"  said  the  sick  man  ;  "such  events 
make  a  strong  impression  at  your  age.  But  come  closer, 
I  beg ;  my  voice  fails  me." 

Daniel  drew  nearer,  and  the  man,  taking  the  boy's  hands 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  35 

in  his  own,  said  in  feeble  tones :  "  My  voice  is  going  rap- 
idly, and  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  Death  is  fast  ap- 
proaching, and  I  have  much  to  say  to  you  before  I  die." 

"  Let  me  call  my  father,"  said  the  boy,  startled  by  this 
preamble.  "  He  can  advise  you  better  than  I." 

"  Not  at  all,  it  is  useless,"  replied  the  stranger.  "  I  know 
that  it  was  you  who  saved  my  life ;  and  although  you  are 
but  a  child,  to  you  I  will  confide  the  last  favor  which  I 
shall  ask  of  mortal  man.  I  have  fully  considered  what  I 
am  about  to  do.  Just  now,  when  you  thought  me  asleep, 
I  merely  closed  my  eyes  that  I  might  have  time  for 
reflection.  Listen  attentively,  for  on  what  I  tell  you 
will  depend  the  future  peace  and  prosperity  of  those  I 
love." 

He  paused  for  some  moments,  as  if  exhausted  by  the 
effort  which  he  had  made,  asked  for  a  few  drops  of  brandy, 
which  seemed  to  restore  his  strength,  then  went  on  in  a 
firmer  voice :  — 

"  My  past  history  concerns  you  little,  and  yet  you  must 
know  it,  hard  as  it  is  for  me  to  confess  my  wickedness. 
My  name  is  Bastien  Moreau,  I  was  born  at  Narbonne, 
forty  years  ago  this  very  day.  My  family  was  one  of  the 
most  honorable  in  the  city.  Having  finished  my  studies, 
I  entered  the  marines,  and  when  I  was  captain,  married  a 
young  girl  from  Cette.  Two  years  later  we  had  a  child,  a 
daughter.  My  wife,  loath  to  let  me  leave  her  for  Senegal, 
where  I  was  ordered,  begged  me  to  quit  the  service.  I 


36  DEATH   OF   THE   SHIPWRECKED   MAN. 

reluctantly  agreed  and  obtained  a  humble  post  in  the  har- 
bor service,  as  cashier  of  a  shipping  office.  My  tastes  were 
modest,  my  daughter  grew  rapidly,  fortune  smiled  upon  me, 
when  one  day  —  accursed  day  !  —  a  demon  lured  me  to  my 
ruin.  I  had  kept  up  my  friendship  with  some  of  my  for- 
mer comrades,  and  often  went  to  a  club  frequented  by 
the  officers  and  young  men  of  the  town.  One  evening  I 
was  urged  to  play  cards ;  I  lost  a  considerable  sum,  and 
went  home  in  despair.  To  pay  this  debt,  I  helped  myself 
from  the  funds  entrusted  to  my  care.  To  my  mind  it  was 
but  a  temporary  loan,  and  I  felt  sure  that  I  should  make 
up  the  deficiency  by  selling  some  stock,  my  only  pro- 
perty. What  was  my  horror,  when  I  returned  from  paying 
the  amount  lost  the  previous  night,  to  hear  that  the 
naval  inspector  had  arrived  during  my  absence,  and  was 
even  then  examining  my  accounts.  How  could  I  explain 
the  deficiency  which  he  would  find  ?  I  was  ruined, 
dishonored.  I  lost  my  head,  and,  mad  with  despair, 
I  fled  hastily,  without  even  taking  leave  of  wife  and 
child." 

The  unhappy  man  hid  his  face  in  his  hands,  as  if  to  con- 
ceal his  grief  and  shame. 

"  But  why,"  he  resumed,  "  rehearse  my  long  expiation  ? 
I  fled  to  America,  where  I  led  an  abject  and  miserable 
existence,  scarcely  daring  to  think  of  home  and  country. 
At  last  I  learned  that  my  name  was  dishonored ;  that  my 
wife  and  daughter  had  been  received  into  nay  brother-in- 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  37 

law's  home,  and  were  removed  from  want.  I  was  dead  to 
them.  After  travelling  all  over  the  United  States,  follow- 
ing many  and  various  trades,  I  determined  to  go  to  Austra- 
lia and  try  my  fortune  in  the  gold  mines,  which  were  then 
attracting  swarms  of  adventurers.  There  I  was  equally 
unlucky,  and,  in  my  despair,  weary  of  life,  I  was  about  to 
put  an  end  to  my  wretched  existence,  when  an  unex- 
pected chance  laid  at  my  feet  the  fortune  which  I  had 
sought  so  long.  Soon  I  was  rich,  I  bought  vast  estates 
near  Melbourne,  I  was  honored  and  respected.  My  first 
thought,  when'  I  had  money,  was  to  send  to  Cette  the 
sum  which  I  had  embezzled,  and  at  the  same  time  I  wrote 
to  my  wife,  entreating  her  to  come  out  and  join  me,  as  I 
could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  bear  the  scorn  and  con- 
tempt of  those  who  had  known  me  in  earlier  days.  My 
brother-in-law  answered  the  letter,  perhaps  too  severely, 
doubting  the  truth  of  the  story  which  I  told  my  wife,  and 
declaring  that  he  could  not  permit  her  to  rejoin  me  until 
he  was  fully  convinced  that  neither  she  nor  my  daughter 
would  have  cause  to  blush  for  me.  In  vain  I  wrote  again. 
I  promised  to  comply  with  any  conditions  which  they 
might  impose ;  I  could  not  overcome  the  scruples  of  this 
honest  but  pitiless  man.  What  did  my  money  avail  me 
then,  far  from  those  I  loved  ?  I  decided  to  return  to 
France,  but  wi£h  the  firm  resolve  not  to  remain,  but  to 
bring  my  family  back  to  the  new  home  which  contained 
all  my  wealth  and  my  estates.  I  had  not  heard  from  my 


38  DEATH  OF  THE   SHIPWRECKED  MAN. 

brother-in-law  for  more  than  a  month,  when  I  set  sail  for 
Cette.  Our  voyage  was  prosperous.  After  a  passage  of 
three  months,  I  saw  the  shores  of  France  yesterday,  for 
the  first  tune  since  I  left  them  six  years  ago.  We  ex- 
pected to  reach  port  to-day,  and  I  was  just  thanking  God 
for  all  his  mercies  when  the  storm  burst  upon  us.  Know- 
ing all  the  dangers  of  this  coast,  I  advised  the  captain  to 
stand  out  to  sea  again,  but  he  did  not  heed  me.  The  dis- 
abled ship  was  speedily  cast  upon  the  rocks  by  the  hurri- 
cane. The  boats  were  lowered,  and  I  was  about  to  take 
my  place  with  the  rest,  when  I  remembered  that  I  had 
left  a  portfolio,  containing  most  important  papers,  in  my 
cabin.  They  promised  to  wait  for  me.  *  I  hastened  back, 
quickly  found  the  portfolio  and  was  returning,  when  the 
main-mast  was  suddenly  snapped  in  twain,  and  I  was 
crushed  under  the  ruins  of  the  cabin.  My  companions^ 
undoubtedly  thinking  me  dead,  put  out  to  sea  and  left  me 
behind." 

"  Every  man  must  have  perished,"  interrupted  Daniel, 
"  for  we  cannot  find  a  trace  of  them." 

"  I  should  have  died,  too,  had  it  not  been  for  you," 
resumed  the  sufferer.  "  I  learned  from  your  father,  whom  I 
once  knew  very  well,  although  he  does  not  recognize  me 
now,  —  from  him,  I  say,  I  learned  of  your  noble  conduct. 
I  thank  you,  not  for  the  life  which  nothing  now  can  save, 
but  because  you  have  enabled  me  to  die  with  a  mind  at 
ease.  I  beseech  you,  my  boy,  to  continue  your  good 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  39 

work.  To  you,  my  saviour,  I  confide  the  last  duty  of  in- 
forming my  poor  wife  of  my  death  —  " 

These  words  died  away  on  the  sick  man's  lips,  and  he 
fell  back  exhausted. 

Daniel  felt  the  hand  which  he  held  grow  cold.  He  was 
about  to  call  for  help  in  terror,  when  Bastien  Moreau 
reopened  his  eyes,  and  whispered :  "  Take  the  portfolio 
from  under  my  pillow." 

Daniel  put  his  hand  under  the  pillow,  and  drew 
out  a  bulky  black-leather  case,  with  an  immense  steel 
clasp. 

"  That  is  it,"  said  the  dying  man.  "  When  you  find  my 
wife,  give  it  to  her.  Your  father  will  let  you  go  to  Cette 
and  you  will  find  money  for  your  journey  in  the  portfolio. 
All  the  money  that  it  contains  is  yours,  I  give  it  to  you. 
My  wife  will  not  need  it,  for  I  have  sent  her  plenty  from 
Australia,  and  she  is  now  rich.  I  merely  require  you  to 
deliver  the  portfolio  to  her  without  opening  the  secret 
drawer  within.  It  only  contains  a  few  valueless  trifles, 
simple  keepsakes,  which  will  be  precious  to  my  wife, 
but  to  no  one  else.  Such  is  the  service  which  I  ask  of 
you.  Will  you  promise  to  execute  the  commission  faith- 
fully?" 

"  I  promise,"  said  Daniel. 

"  Very  well,  my  boy,  I  believe  you.  A  heart  like  yours 
cannot  lie.  But  remember  the  advice  of  a  dying  man  :  In 
this  life,  good  intentions  are  nothing,  actions  only  avail, 


40  DEATH  OF  THE   SHIPWRECKED   MAN. 

and  the  wicked  are  always  punished.  My  death  is  a  proof 
of  it." 

The  last  words  were  uttered  in  so  faint  a  voice  that 
Daniel  was  forced  to  lean  over  the  dying  man  to  catch 
them.  Much  moved,  he  still  listened,  but  the  voice  had 
ceased.  He  touched  the  poor  fellow's  hands;  they  were 
icy.  Death  had  done  its  work. 

Daniel  flew  to  call  his  father,  but  just  as  he  reached  the 
door,  he  heard  a  voice  in  the  next  room,  which  nailed  him 
to  the  spot,  pale  and  trembling;  it  was  the  well-known 
voice  of  the  chief  of  police  from  Banyuls. 

"Then,  Mr.  Riva,"  said  the  officer,  "you  assure  me 
that  your  son  has  not  been  away  from  home  since  yes- 
terday." 

"  I  do,"  replied  Peter  firmly.  "  Have  n't  you  heard  that 
my  son  -was  with  me  last  night  when  I  went  out  with 
the  fishermen  of  Castel  to  make  an  effort  to  rescue  the 
crew  of  the  Australian  ship,  cast  on  the  rocks  by  the 
storm  ? " 

"  I  have  just  seen  your  neighbor,  John  Cerdagnol, 
the  pilot,  who  told  me  the  whole  story.  He  says  that 
Daniel  showed  the  greatest  courage,  and  that,  had  it  not 
been  for  his  exertions,  the  poor  man  whom  you  have  here 
must  have  perished,  as  the  ship  has  been  washed  to  pieces 
by  the  waves,  and  not  a  fragment  remains." 

"What  did  I  tell  you?"  interrupted  Peter. 

"So,"  continued  the  officer,  "it  was  only  in  the  dis- 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  41 

charge  of  my  duty  that  I  came  here,  although  I  this  morn- 
ing received  a  report  from  the  coast-guard  station  at 
Belistres,  directing  me  to  cross-examine  your  son,  and,  if 
need  be,  arrest  him." 

"  What  has  happened  ? "  asked  Eiva. 

"  It  seems,  —  "  replied  the  officer ;  "  but  stay,  I  will 
read  you  the  report,  which  I  have  about  me."  And  draw- 
ing a  paper  from  his  pocket,  he  unfolded  it  and  read :  — 

"'To  THE  CHIEF  OF  POLICE:  — 

" '  Some  time  past  the  coast-guards  stationed  on  the 
frontier  were  informed  that  a  man  named  Mateo  Puig, 
living  at  Collioure,  was  actively  engaged  in  smuggling. 
He  is  known  to -have  brought  great  quantities  of  tobacco 
into  France.  Orders  were  given  at  every  station  that  a 
strict  watch  should  be  set  upon  this  audacious  smuggler, 
that  he  might  be  caught  in  the  act,  if  possible.  Yesterday, 
two  officers  of  the  station  at  Belistres,  Messrs.  Menistrol 
and  Foureyra,  were  patrolling  Cape  Cerberus,  when  they 
perceived  Mateo  Puig  on  the  topmost  point,  accompanied 
by  an  unknown  youth.  Unable  to  approach  these  men, 
who  were  armed,  unseen,  the  officers  took  a  roundabout 
course,  and  came  out  upon  the  road  leading  down  to 
Banyuls,  which  the  smugglers  would  probably  follow.  It 
was  very  dark,  and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  when  the  offi- 
cers heard  the  two  offenders  coming  rapidly  towards  them. 
They  were  summoned  to  surrender,  but  kept  on  their 


42  DEATH  OF  THE   SHIPWEECKED  MAN. 

way ;  upon  this  the  officers  fired,  but  without  effect.  On 
the  contrary,  one  of  the  malefactors  returned  their  shot, 
and  wounded  officer  Menistrol  in  the  forearm.  His  com- 
rade's wound  and  the  thick  darkness  prevented  officer 
Foureyra  from  following  the  criminals.  He  at  once  re- 
ported the  case  to  me,  and  I  warned  all  the  stations,  —  too 
late,  however,  for  I  learn  that  the  aforesaid  Mateo  Puig 
escaped  into  Spain  this  morning  unmolested.  I  myself 
examined  the  two  officers,  one  of  whom  thinks  that  he 
recognized  Mateo  Puig's  companion  as  the  son  of  Peter 
Kiva,  the  pilot  of  Castel ;  he  cannot,  however,  swear  to  the 
fact,  and  says  that  he  may  have  been  mistaken.  Please 
go  to  Castel  and  make  an  inquiry  into  the  conduct  of  this 
young  man,  who,  we  hear,  bears  a  very  bad  reputation.  If 
the  facts  justify  our  suspicions,  you  will  communicate 
with  the  court  at  Banyuls,  which  will  act  accordingly. 

" '  P.  MOLITG. 

" '  Officer  in  command 

of  the  coast-guard  station. 
" '  BELISTRES  STATION,  June  12,  1863."' 

"Well,"  said  Peter  Riva  quietly,  "what  does  this 
amount  to  ?  The  officers  made  a  mistake.  My  son  was 
here  with  me  last  night,  so  he  could  not  have  been  with 
Mateo,  and  I  am  very  sorry  that  Mateo  was  not  ar- 
rested." 

"After  your  statement,  Mr.  Riva,"  replied  the  officer, 
"  I  can  only  beg  you  to  excuse  me  and  withdraw." 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  43 

"  There  is  nothing  to  excuse,"  said  Peter.  "  You  have  only 
done  your  duty,  officer,  and  I  bear  you  no  grudge." 

The  officer  saluted  him  and  withdrew,  closing  the  door 
behind  him.  No  sooner  was  Peter  alone  than  he  fell 
heavily  into  a  chair.  His  pale  face,  his  haggard,  tearless 
eyes,  expressed  the  deep,  intense  pain  which  the  officer's 
story  had  inflicted. 

"  What  a  disgrace ! "  he  muttered.  "  Peter  Eiva's  son 
the  accomplice  of  an  assassin  ! "  and  rising  hastily  he  added : 
"  Perhaps  himself  an  assassin ! " 

"No,  no,  father,  I  am  innocent!"  cried  Daniel,  who 
stood  motionless  and  aghast  upon  the  threshold  of  the  door 
which  he  had  just  opened. 

"  Unhappy  boy !  can  it  be  that  you  have  stooped  to 
become  the  accomplice  of  Mateo  the  thief,  Mateo  the 
assassin  ? " 

"  My  fault  was  no  sooner  committed  than  it  was  re- 
pented," said  the  boy.  "  I  am  ready  to  atone  for  it  as  you 
see  fit.  You  promised  to  forgive  me,  but  I  know  that  I 
do  not  deserve  it  yet." 

"  Forgive  you !  I  forgave  you  for  the  second  time  a 
moment  ago,"  replied  Peter,  "when  I  saved  you  from 
your  just  punishment.  Do  you  suppose  that  it  cost  me 
no  effort  to  lie,  to  declare  your  innocence,  even  when  I 
knew,  or  rather  I  felt,  that  you  were  guilty  ?  I  spared  you 
to  prevent  an  infamous  stigma  from  branding  my  honored 
name,  —  the  name  of  my  father,  and  all  the  honest  men 


44  DEATH   OF   THE   SHIPWRECKED  MAN. 

who  came  before  him.  You  can  remain  here  no  longer,  you 
must  go.  How  bitterly  I  regret  that  I  did  not  sooner  exe- 
cute this  long-plotted  purpose!  Before  to-morrow  night 
you  must  leave  this  house,  never  to  return  to  it  until  you 
have  proved  by  your  conduct  that  you  are  worthy  to  be 
called  my  son." 


"  Daniel  stood  motionless." 


CHAPTER   IV. 


A     START     IN     LIFE. 

ON  her  return  to  the  house,  Mrs.  Riva  learned  from 
her  husband's  mouth  the  death  of  the  shipwrecked  man, 
their  guest,  and  the  speedy  departure  of  Daniel.  These 
two  pieces  of  news,  coming  together,  quite  upset  the  poor 
woman ;  the  latter  especially  plunged  her  in  the  deepest 
despair,  and  she  went  mechanically  about  her  household 
duties,  listening  to  her  husband's  explanations  the  while. 
"  There  is  no  appeal  from  my  decision,"  concluded  Peter. 
"  Daniel  goes  to-morrow.  Prepare  his  clothes,  and  above 
all  try  to  hide  your  grief  from  curious  eyes." 


46  A   START   IN   LIFE. 

To  turn  away  any  suspicions  which  Daniel's  sudden  de- 
parture might  arouse,  the  fisherman,  when  he  told  his 
neighbors  of  the  death  of  his  guest,  also  informed  them 
that  the  dying  man  had  directed  the  boy  to  break  the  fatal 
news  to  his  family  at  Cette. 

The  doctor,  who  came  from  Banyuls  in  all  haste,  could 
only  certify  to  the  death ;  and  the  very  same  day,  the  un- 
fortunate Bastien  Moreau  was  laid  in  a  humble  grave  in  the 
Castel  cemetery.  As  for  the  ship,  nothing  remained  of  it 
save  a  few  planks  scattered  upon  the  rocks.  That  evening 
a  broken  boat  was  found  near  Cape  Cerberus,  and  close  by, 
the  bodies  of  two  of  the  crew,  half  buried  in  the  sand. 

Despite  the  fatigue  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  no  one 
slept  that  night  in  the  Riva  cottage.  The  mother  set 
silently  to  work  to  mend  her  boy's  scanty  wardrobe  as 
best  she  might,  while  Peter  and  Daniel,  sitting  by  the  fire- 
side, were  plunged  in  a  deep  revery,  and  did  not  exchange 
a  syllable.  At  last  day  dawned :  all  was  ready.  Daniel 
put  on  his  sailor's  dress,  tenderly  kissed  his  poor,  heart- 
broken mother,  took  his  bundle  and  left  the  house,  his 
heart  full  almost  to  bursting,  hi&  eyes  dim  with  tears.  His 
father  followed  and  went  with  him  half  way  to  Banyuls. 
On  reaching  a  slight  ascent  overlooking  the  sea,  the  fisher- 
man stopped,  and  opening  his  arms  embraced  his  son. 
Tears  rolled  down  his  bronzed  cheeks,  and  in  a  voice 
choked  by  emotion,  he  said :  "  Come  back  soon,  and  be  an 
honest  man.  Think  sometimes  of  those  you  have  left  be- 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  47 

hind  at  Castel,  whose  only  happiness  and  hope  you  are." 
Then  breaking  away  hastily,  he  returned  rapidly  to  the 
village. 

Daniel  stood  motionless,  watching  his  father  as  he  disap- 
peared in  the  distance.  The  sun  now  gilded  the  cliffs  and 
the  houses  nestling  at  his  feet.  A  few  boats  leaving  port 
danced  across  the  blue  sea.  The  youth  seemed  striving  to 
engrave  the  smiling  scene  upon  his  memory.  At  last, 
heaving  a  sigh,  he  set  out,  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight  be- 
hind the  hill,  but  not  without  many  backward  glances  at 
Castel.  After  walking  for  half  an  hour,  as  he  approached 
Banyuls,  he  suddenly  perceived  before  him  on  the  road  the 
long  shadows  of  two  mounted  police  coming  in  his  direction. 
His  heart  gave  a  frantic  bound ;  he  cast  a  frightened  glance 
around,  and  seeing  some  bushes  among  the  rocks,  concealed 
himself  behind  them  like  a  criminal.  The  two  riders 
passed  close  by  his  hiding-place  without  suspecting  his 
presence. 

Daniel  waited  until  they  were  some  distance  away,  then 
cautiously  leaving  shelter,  he  ran  on  with  all  his  might, 
crossing  the  fields  and  making  a  long  circuit  to  avoid  the 
town.  Not  until  he  thought  himself  sufficiently  far  from 
Banyuls  did  he  venture  to  stop,  panting  for  breath.  "  What 
a  fool  I  am,"  he  thought !  "  If  the  policemen  had  seen  me 
running  so  fast,  it  would  have  been  reason  enough  for  them 
to  run  after  me.  My  father  was  quite  right  to  send  me 
away.  I  know  I  should  have  betrayed  myself  sooner  or 


48  A  START   IN    LIFE. 

later.      It  is  hard  to  live  with  a  perpetual  lie  on  your 
lips." 

It  was  late  at  night  when  Daniel  entered  Perpignan ;  and 
still,  fearing  lest  one  of  his  former  schoolmates  should  recog- 
nize him,  he  wrapped  his  cloak  about  him,  and  went 
through  the  town  with  a  rapid  step,  only  stopping  at  the 
railway  station,  where  he  found  that  the  last  train  for 
Cette  had  already  gone.  The  next  one  did  not  leave  until 
five  o'clock  next  morning. 

Determined  not  to  return  to  town,  the  boy  seated  him- 
self in  the  darkest  corner  of  the  waiting-room.  His  pockets, 
stuffed  with  provisions  by  his  mother's  prudent  hand,  pro- 
vided him  with  a  good  meal,  and  having  thus  refreshed 
himself,  he  lay  down  on  a  bench,  stretched  himself  at  full 
length,  put  his  bundle  under  his  head,  and  soon  fell 
asleep. 

His  sleep  was  sound,  but  troubled  by  countless  dreams,  in 
which  his  anxious  brain  rehearsed  all  the  dramatic  events 
of  the  preceding  days.  He  dreamed  that  he  was  lying  in 
ambush  by  the  roadside,  with  Mateo  Puig,  waiting  to  rob 
and  murder  the  unfortunate  Bastien  Moreau.  The  gold- 
digger  fell  beneath  their  blows,  he  himself  seized  the  port- 
folio, but  Mateo  disputed  the  booty  with  him.  Attacked 
by  the  ruffian  in  his  turn,  he  was  about  to  yield.  Stretched 
on  the  ground,  he  saw  his  enemy's  devilish  face  pressed 
close  to  his :  another  instant  and  the  knife  would  .pierce 
his  heart.  He  uttered  a  cry  and  awoke.  Horrors,  it  was 


'  Well,  youn-  OIK1,  I  should  s:iy  tl:;i1  you  \\viv  a  sound  sleeper."  —  Page  51. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  51 

not  a  dream !  His  half -opened  eyes  perceived  a  strange, 
hairy,  shaggy  face  bending  over  him. 

"  Well,  young  one,"  said  a  rough  voice,  "  I  should  say 
that  you  were  a  sound  sleeper." 

Daniel,  starting  up,  saw  beside  him,  instead  of  his 
savage  enemy,  a  tall  fellow,  thin  and  shrivelled,  with  a  face 
covered  with  reddish  beard,  and  an  equally  reddish  fur  cap 
on  his  head.  The  Mephistophelian  stranger  smiled,  and 
benevolently  showed  his  long  yellow  teeth.  This  smile 
completely  allayed  the  boy's  fears,  and  he  was  soon  on  his 
feet. 

"  The  tram  is  going,  youngster,"  said  the  stranger ;  "  you 
have  barely  time  to  buy  your  ticket.  Where  are  you  go- 
ing, if  I  may  ask  ? " 

"  To  Cette,  sir." 

"  I  guessed  as  much.  So,  when  I  saw  you  lying  there 
asleep,  I  said  to  myself,  'Here's  a  fellow  sleeping  as 
soundly  as  if  he  were  at  a  hotel,  who  will  certainly 
lose  his  train.'  Come,  let's  make  for  the  ticket-office ;  we 
will  travel  together." 

Accepting  without  more  ado  the  stranger's  imperative 
protection,  Daniel  went  to  the  ticket-office,  bought  a  ticket 
for  Cette,  and,  still  led  by  the  man  with  the  fur  cap,  soon 
found  himself  seated  in  a  third-class  compartment.  The 
stranger  closed  the  door,  drew  from  his  pocket  a  huge  pipe, 
which  he  stuffed  with  tobacco  and  which,  speedily  lighted, 
filled  the  carriage  with  a  cloud  of  smoke. 


52  A  START   IN   LIFE. 

"  That,"  said  he,  with  a  wink,  "  is  to  keep  out  ladies. 
Not  that  I  want  to  be  rude,  but  it  is  better  to  express  your 
opinion  at  once  that  there  may  be  no  mistakes.  I  smoke 
and  I  don't  like  to  be  disturbed.  And  you,  young  one,  do 
you  smoke  ? " 

"  No,  sir,  not  yet." 

"  Not  yet  ?  Well,  I  sha'  n't  reproach  you.  It  is  never  too 
late  to  begin,  and  when  you  Ve  once  begun,  it 's  too  late  to 
leave  off.  It 's  a  habit  that  sticks  more  closely  than  most, 
and  it 's  a  great  tax  on  your  pocket."  A  whistle  cut  short 
this  moral  dissertation,  and  the  train  started.  "  Now  we  are 
off,"  cheerfully  remarked  the  stranger.  "  If  it  had  n't  been 
for  me,  you  would  be  still  asleep  on  your  bench.  So 
you  're  going  to  Cette  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Daniel 

"  Listen  to  me,  young  one.  I  like  your  face,  so  don't  Sir 
1  me  in  that  way :  call  me  plain  Dominic,  —  Dominic  Marti- 
gues,  from  the  port  of  Marseilles,  formerly  a  sailor  on  board 
the  Victory,  now  out  of  work,  returning  from  a  visit  to  his 
old  mother,  and  going  to  Cette  to  seek  a  captain.  There 
are  my  papers  :  now  for  yours." 

"  My  name  is  Daniel  Biva,"  said  the  young  man,  com- 
pletely won  by  the  sailor's  eloquence.  "  My  father  is  a  pilot 
and  fisherman  at  Castel,  and  I  am  going  to  Cette  to  ship." 

"Then,  messmate,  give  us  your  fist,"  said  Dominic, 
stretching  out  his  large,  bony  hand.  "  We  '11  sail  in  the 
same  ship  if  you  've  no  objection  to  make." 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  53 

"  I  ask  nothing  better,"  answered  the  boy ;  "  but  before 
I  leave,  I  have  some  business  to  attend  to,  at  Cette,  which 
may  take  some  time." 

" Never  mind,  I'm.  in  no  hurry ;  I  can  wait.  When  a 
man  is  going  off  for  three  or  four  years  it  may  be,  he  can 
easily  content  himself  to  wait  a  few  days.  Nothing 
plagues  me  so  much  as  to  ship  without  a  messmate.  I  am 
determined  to  go  in  your  vessel.  Is  it  a  bargain  ? " 

"  If  you  please,"  replied  Daniel. 

"  By  the  by,"  said  the  sailor,  "  are  you  acquainted  in 
Cette?" 

"  I  never  left  Eoussillon." 

"  So  much  the  better,  I  will  pilot  you  about ;  for  nobody 
knows  that  port  better  than  I  do.  I  Ve  had  more  than 
one  lark  there  between  my  voyages,  and  I  've  explored  all 
the  best  places.  So  you  say,"  he  added,  "  that  you  have 
business  in  Cette." 

"  Yes,  my  father  has  given  me  a  few  commissions  for  old 
friends,"  answered  the  boy  with  some  hesitation. 

This  hesitation  did  not  escape  the  Argus  eye  of  the 
sailor,  and  he  went  on  in  a  careless  tone :  "  Never  mind, 
youngster,  let  every  one  mind  his  own  business.  I  sha'  n't 
pry  into  yours  " ;  and,  refilling  his  pipe,  he  puffed  out  fresh 
clouds  of  smoke. 

It  was  with  great  reluctance  that  Daniel  betrayed  this 
distrust  of  his  new  friend.  With  the  frankness  natural  to 
the  southern  character  he  longed  to  tell  his  adventure  with 


54  A  START   IN   LIFE. 

the  castaway,  and  the  mission  with  which  he  was  charged ; 
but  he  had  resolved  that  he  would  be  very  prudent  at  the 
outset  of  his  new  career.  Were  not  his  simple  trust  and 
readiness  to  confide  in  Mateo  the  first  causes  of  all  his 
misfortunes  ?  Accordingly,  he  was  silent. 

On  the  other  hand,  Dominic  did  not  seem  much  offended 
by  Daniel's  reticence.  He  soon  recovered  his  loquacity ; 
and  the  story  of  his  voyages,  with  his  droll  manner  of 
telling  it,  rapidly  distracted  the  boy's  sad  thoughts.  The 
sailor  proved  an  excellent  companion :  he  knew  the  speci- 
alities of  every  town,  and  there  was  not  a  station  at  which 
he  did  not  invite  Daniel  to  taste  some  incomparable  Ver- 
mouth, or  other  liqueur,  made  nowhere  else.  With  a 
charming  grace  he  yielded  to  the  boy,  when  it  came  to 
paying,  saying  gayly,  "  You  may  pay  the  footing,  as  you  're 
a  green  hand." 

This  unceasing  gayety,  this  constant  fire  of  jokes,  en- 
chanted Daniel,  and  gave  him  a  high  opinion  of  his  merry 
comrade.  He  accordingly  reproached  himself  more  than 
ever  for  his  distrust  of  so  good  a  fellow.  He  could  not 
restrain  himself  long,  and,  forgetting  his  good  resolves,  said 
to  Dominic :  "  I  'd  like  to  ask  your  advice." 

"  What  about,  young  one  ?     Don't  be  shy." 

"  I  am  intrusted  with  a  commission  which  troubles  me 
greatly."  And  without  a  moment's  thought  he  told  his  new 
friend,  of  the  wreck  of  the  Australian  ship,  the  rescue  and 
death  of  the  poor  miner.  He  had  the  delicacy,  however,  to 
pass  over  Bastien  Moreau's  confessions. 


THE   TWO  CABIN   BOYS.  55 

"  Well,  young  one,"  said  the  sailor  when  the  boy  ended, 
"  there  is  only  one  thing  to  be  done :  we  must  hunt  up  the 
Moreau  family.  You  say  that  the  dying  man  charged  you 
to  deliver  the  portfolio  to  his  wife  ? " 

"  Yes ;  but  he  said  that  I  might  keep  all  the  money  in 
it." 

"  And  how  much  money  was  there  ? "  asked  the  sailor. 

"  About  five  hundred  dollars." 

"  Five  hundred  dollars  !     Why,  it  is  a  small  fortune." 

"  Yes ;  but  my  father  advised  me  only  to  take  the  money 
which  I  needed  for  my  journey  and  expenses  to  Cette,  and 
to  return  the  rest  to  Mrs.  Moreau." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Dominic.  "  Until  we  find  her,  we 
have  a  perfect  right  to  live  upon  the  money,  and  the  good 
lady  will  be  sure  to  give  us  the  rest  to  pay  for  our  trouble. 
I  say,  young  one,  now  that  we  are  so  rich,  we  will  put  up  at 
the  '  Three  Parrots ' ;  it 's  the  best  hotel  in  the  port,  and 
we  shall  live  like  fighting  cocks  there." 

The  tram  now  entered  the  station  at  Cette.  Dominic 
rose,  took  his  bundle,  and  Daniel  followed  him.  Walking 
along  the  edge  of  the  neighboring  canal,  the  sailor  plunged 
into  the  dark  and  narrow  streets  of  the  old  town.  Night 
drew  on  apace,  and  when  the  two  companions  came  out  on 
the  wharves  which  ran  along  the  South  Dock,  the  street 
lamps  were  lighted,  and  the  long  rows  of  saloons  and  taverns 
•  were  brightly  illuminated.  Dominic  paused  an  instant  to 
study  the  brilliant  line,  then,  seeing  a  lantern  bearing  a 


56  A   START  IN   LIFE. 

rudely  painted  picture  of  three  bright-green  birds,  said : 
"  Here  is  our  hotel." 

The  "  Three  Parrots,"  the  finest  hotel  in  Cette,  according 
to  Dominic's  statement,  was  a  narrow,  five-storied  house, 
with  but  one  window  on  a  floor,  the  basement  being  filled 
up  with  a  large  window,  full  of  bottles  of  various  hues, 
lighted  by  a  single  gas-burner. 

Daniel,  preceded  by  Dominic,  went  into  the  office, 
which  was  crowded  with  sailors  drinking  and  smoking,  in 
the  midst  of  an  indescribable  hurly-burly  and  noise. 
Making  his  way  through  the  mob,  the  seaman  reached  the 
counter,  behind  which  sat  enthroned  a  large  and  majestic 
lady,  and,  making  her  a  ceremonious  bow,  he  said :  "  Mrs. 
Ginestous,  let  me  present  my  friend  Daniel  Eiva,  a  young 
man  of  the  finest  family,  who  is  thinking  of  taking  a  voyage 
merely  for  pleasure,  and  whose  family  have  put  him  under 
my  care.  The  room  on  the  first  floor  will  do  for  us.  But 
give  us  a  good  dinner,  and  be  sure  you  send  in  your  best 
wine." 


"  Daniel  could  not  finish  his  sentence. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A   MISTAKE. 

THE  best  room  in  the  "  Three  Parrots,"  the  "  best  hotel 
in  Cette,"  only  differed  from  the  other  rooms  in  that  hos- 
pitable house  in  the  luxury  of  its  furnishing.  It  con- 
tamed  two  beds  with  straw  mattresses,  while  the  others  had 
a  greater  or  less  number  of  mattresses,  without  a  sign  of  a 
bed.  It  boasted  of  two  straw  chairs,  and  a  worn-out  table, 
whose  broken  leg  was  only  held  on  by  an  ingenious  system  of 
strings,  and  finally — height  of  luxury! — a  chest  of  drawers. 
Never  within  the  memory  of  man  had  this  elegant  article 
been  put  to  any  use  by  an  occupant  of  the  room,  they  being 
all  poor  sailors,  who  carried  all  they  owned  on  their  backs 
or  done  up  in  a  handkerchief. 

Dominic  was  not  backward  in  praising  this  sumptuous 
apartment  to  his  companion,  when,  after  a  good  meal,  plen- 


5S  A  MISTAKE. 

tifully  washed  down  by  Mrs.  Ginestous'  famous  wine,  the 
two  travellers  took  possession  of  their  room  on  the  first 
floor. 

On  this  occasion  Daniel  slept  more  peacefully.  The 
pleasant  incidents  of  the  day  had  in  some  measure  effaced 
his  sad  memories,  and  he  woke  next  day  refreshed  in  body 
and  mind.  The  sun,  already  high  in  the  heavens,  sent 
glittering  rays  dancing  about  the  room,  whose  dirty,  sordid 
air  struck  the  boy  more  forcibly  than  on  the  previous 
night.  He  rose  quickly  and,  opening  the  window,  leaned 
out  to  gaze  at  the  interesting  sights  and  the  busy  life  of  the 
harbor  beneath.  He  curiously  scanned  the  fine  ships,  with 
their  shining  hulls  and  slender  masts,  elegantly  rigged, 
crowded  closely  together  in  the  great  dock.  Which  of 
them  would  bear  him  out  into  the  unknown,  into  the 
future,  to  his  fortune  ?  In  imagination  he  was  already  off, 
speeding  over  the  blue  waters,  and  forgetful  of  his  promise 
to  Bastien  Moreau.  But  it  soon  recurred  to  him.  Before 
he  enjoyed  his  liberty,  he  must  fulfil  that  sacred  trust. 

Already  impatient  and  eager  to  begin  his  search,  Daniel 
turned  away  from  the  window.  Dominic  was  assuredly  a 
sluggard.  The  sun  falling  on  his  face  only  seemed  to  make 
his  sleep  more  profound  and  his  snores  more  loud  and  long. 

"  Dominic ! "  cried  Daniel. 

Not  a  movement. 

The  boy  took  one  of  the  two  chairs  and  threw  it  noisily 
to  the  floor.  This  delicate  proceeding  not  only  resulted  in 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  59 

the  permanent  separation  of  the  back  of  the  chair  and  its 
seat,  but  it  also  waked  the  obstinate  sleeper  with  a  start, 
and  he  sat  up,  muttering  a  few  oaths ;  however,  when  he 
saw  Daniel,  he  added  more  amiably :  "Well,  youngster,  so 
you  're  out  of  patience  ?  I  'm  coming,  I  'm  coming." 

"  I  am  eager  to  be  off,"  said  the  boy. 

"  Then  you  Ve  made  a  bargain  with  the  captain  ? "  cried 
the  sailor  with  a  sneer.  "  You  must  be  fond  of  hard  work." 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Daniel,  with  some  temper.  "  You 
know  very  well  that  I  am  anxious  to  get  through  with 
Bastien  Moreau's  business." 

"  Oh,  that 's  another  matter.  In  that  case,  I  am  yours 
to  command." 

And,  jumping  out  of  bed,  the  sailor  went  into  one  corner 
of  the  room,  took  a  pitcher  of  water,  and,  lifting  it  high 
above  him,  poured  the  contents  over  his  head,  forming  a 
large  pond  on  the  floor.  After  sniffing  violently  and  shak- 
ing his  shock  of  red  hair,  like  a  spaniel  coming  out  of 
the  water,  he  took  a  towel  and  rubbed  himself  vigor- 
otisly. 

"That's  all  right  now,"  he  said  to  Daniel.  "There's 
nothing  like  a  pitcher  of  water  to  set  your  head  straight, 
especially  after  such  a  good  dinner  as  we  had." 

"  And  that  pond  on  the  floor  ? "  asked  the  young  man, 
somewhat  astonished  at  this  free  and  easy  proceeding. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  it 's  the  custom  of  the  house ;  water 
always  finds  its  level.  Now  let  us  visit  our  amiable  host- 


60  A   MISTAKE. 

ess ;  she  is  the  only  person  I  know  who  can  tell  us  where 
Mrs.  Moreau  lives  " ;  and  planting  his  fur  cap  on  his  drip- 
ping head,  the  sailor  left  the  room. 

Mrs.  Ginestous  received  her  guests  with  her  sweetest 
smile.  She  was  still  enthroned  behind  her  zinc-covered 
counter,  and  comparing  the  size  of  the  lady  with  that  of 
the  space  allotted  to  her,  Daniel  seriously  wondered 
whether  the  poor  woman  were  not  a  permanent  fix- 
ture. 

At  Dominic's  first  words,  Mrs.  Ginestous  made  an  effort 
to  throw  up  her  arms,  which  were  far  too  short  and  fat 
for  such  an  effort ;  then  she  cried  in  honied  accents :  "  Do 
I  know  Mrs.  Moreau  ?  For  the  whole  thirty  years  that 
I  Ve  been  keeping  the  '  Three  Parrots '  —  " 

"The  finest  house  in  the  port,"  politely  interrupted 
Dominic. 

"  As  you  say,"  resumed  the  hostess.  "  Having  lived  at 
Cette  for  thirty  years,  how  can  you  suppose  that  I  don't 
know  every  inhabitant  ?  Poor  Mrs.  Moreau  —  " 

Daniel,  fearing  that  the  fat  lady  would  tell  his  compan- 
ion all  the  misfortunes  endured  by  Bastien's  widow,  inter- 
rupted her  hurriedly,  saying :  "  Where  does  Mrs.  Moreau 
live  ? " 

"  No.  20  Canal  Street,"  coldly  answered  the  hostess. 

"Thank  you,  madam,"  replied  the  boy;  "that  informa- 
tion is  all  I  wished  " ;  and  he  quickly  left  the  hotel,  fol- 
lowed by  Dominic,  who  whispered  in  his  ear :  — 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  61 

"  You  have  offended  old  Mother  Ginestous.  You  were 
wrong ;  we  may  need  her  help  at  any  time." 

On  reaching  Canal  Street  the  two  friends  stopped  in 
front  of  No.  20,  which  proved  to  be  a  modest-looking 
shop.  A  large  sign  over  the  door  bore  these  words  in  big 
letters :  — 

MOEEAU. 
GROCEKIES.    WEST  INDIA  GOODS. 

Glass  jars  of  all  sizes,  filled  with  candy,  pots  of  preserves 
arranged  in  the  window,  open  boxes  displaying  treasures  of 
prunes,  dried  apples,  and  canned  vegetables,  with  bunches 
of  brushes,  feather  dusters,  brooms  and  candles  piled  about 
the  door,  quite  did  away  with  the  need  of  this  sign. 

With  a  beating  heart,  Daniel  stepped  into  the  shop,  and 
found  himself  face  to  face  with  a  boy  in  a  blue  apron,  who 
came  forward  obsequiously,  rubbing  his  hands  and  saying : 
"  What  will  you  have,  sir  ? " 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  Mrs.  Moreau,"  said  Daniel  in  a 
timid  voice. 

"  There  she  is,"  replied  the  boy,  pointing  to  a  little,  thin 
old  woman,  with  a  long  nose  and  a  pair  of  spectacles,  who 
came  from  the  back  shop  at  this  moment. 

The  youth  advanced  towards  her  and  bowed  respect- 
fully. "  Would  you  kindly  allow  me  a  few  moment's  con- 
versation ? " 

"  What  have  you  to  say  to  me  ? "  sourly  answered  the 


62  A   MISTAKE. 

woman.  "You  can  speak  here;  we  shall  not  be  inter- 
rupted." 

"Still,  madam,"  continued  Daniel,  "what  I  have  to 
tell  you  is  so  serious  that  I  do  not  know  whether  I 
can  —  " 

"  Trust  me,"  interrupted  Dominic,  "  you  had  better  take 
us  into  your  parlor.  Such  a  piece  of  news  —  " 

Daniel  silenced  him  by  a  gesture. 

Poor  Mrs.  Moreau,  greatly  surprised,  and  somewhat 
alarmed,  scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  Young  Riva  looked 
so  modest,  so  honest,  so  serious ;  but  on  the  other  hand, 
his  comrade's  face  was  very  suspicious.  At  last  she  rose, 
and  pointing  to  the  door  of  the  back  shop,  she  said  :  "  Go 
in,  gentlemen ;  I  will  follow  you  directly. "  And,  turning 
to  the  boy,  she  added:  "You'll  keep  a  good  watch, 
George,  won't  you  ? " 

"Now,  gentlemen,  tell  me  to  what  I  am  indebted  for 
the  honor  of  your  visit,"  she  inquired,  on  finding  herself 
alone  with  the  two  sailors. 

"  Dear  me,  madam,"  said  Daniel,  "  my  errand  is  such  a 
painful  one  that  I  scarcely  dare  —  " 

"  Go  on,  I  entreat  you,"  said  the  woman. 

"Very  well,  then,  madam,  your  husband  died  in  my 
arms  —  " 

Daniel  could  not  finish  his  sentence.  Mrs.  Moreau  fell 
fainting  on  a  chair,  crying,  "  Augustus ! "  In  vain  the 
two  sailors  tried  to  restore  the  poor  creature  to  conscious- 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  63 

ness,  when  hurried  steps  were  heard  in  the  shop ;  the  door 
was  thrown  violently  open,  and  admitted  a  large  man, 
whose  fat,  kindly  face  was  red  with  rage.  He  stopped, 
struck  dumb  by  the  sight  of  the  two  men,  and  exclaimed 
angrily :  — 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ? " 

Before  the  sailors  could  recover  from  their  surprise, 
Mrs.  Moreau,  roused  from  her  faint  by  this  familiar  voice, 
rose  and  threw  herself  into  the  stout  man's  arms,  crying, 
"  Augustus  !  My  husband ! " 

"Let  us  be  off,"  whispered  Dominic.  "We've  made  a 
mistake.  There  '11  be  a  row." 

Daniel  made  endless  excuses  and  apologies ;  but  the 
grocer  seemed  most  reluctant  to  accept  them,  and  the 
shop-boy  stood  at  the  door,  armed  with  a  broom.  The  situ- 
ation became  alarming. 

Dominic's  firm  attitude  at  last  allayed  the  tempest. 
"You  know,  my  friend,"  he  explained,  "you  must  not 
get  mad.  We  made  a  mistake ;  it  seems  that  your  wife  is 
not  our  Mrs.  Moreau.  Therefore,  accept  our  excuses  and 
let  us  go  peaceably  or  I  '11  smash  something  in  your  shop." 

This  threat  speedily  calmed  the  angry  grocer. 

"Go,"  he  said  majestically,  "go,  infamous  impostors,  and 
never  show  your  faces  here  again  !  " 

"We  have  our  own  tradesmen,"  said  Dominic  with 
much  dignity,  as  he  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  preceded  by 
Daniel. 


64  A   MISTAKE. 

x' 

"  If  you  had  n't  been  in  such  a  hurry,"  said  the  sailor, 
"this  would  never  have  happened.  Mrs.  Ginestous  was 
going  to  tell  us  the  story  of  Mrs.  Moreau,  the  grocer's 
wife;  we  should  have  soon  seen  that  she  wasn't  the 
person  we  wanted.  Let  us  go  back  to  the  hotel ;  the  good 
woman  may  be  able  to  help  us  out  of  our  trouble." 

They  had  but  a  cold  reception  from  their  hostess ;  how- 
ever, the  story  of  their  adventures  soon  calmed  her  wrath, 
and  she  began  to  laugh  so  heartily  that  the  counter  shook 
with  the  fat  lady's  mirth.  When  quiet  was  restored, 
thinking  that  Daniel  had  been  punished  enough,  she  gave 
him  a  most  gracious  smile,  and  offered  him  a  glass  of  wine 
to  set  him  up  again,  —  an  offer  which  Dominic  eagerly 
accepted.  While  the  sailors  drank,  the  landlady  con- 
sidered. 

"  Your  Mrs.  Moreau  is  a  widow,  then  ? "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel ;  "  at  least  she  has  not  been  a  widow 
long,  for  I  was  sent  here  to  break  the  news  of  her  hus- 
band's death  to  her;  but  she  has  lived  alone  with  her 
daughter  for  the  last  six  years,  Mr.  Moreau  having  gone  to 
Australia." 

"  Then  I  can 't  tell  you  where  to  find  her.  I  know  of 
no  Mrs.  Moreau  in  Cette  answering  to  your  description. 
Ah !  I  have  it  now.  Was  n't  the  husband  a  government 
official?" 

"  Yes." 

"A  tall,  fair-haired  man,  who  turned  out  badly,  and 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  65 

went  off  owing  everybody  money,  and  leaving  his  wife  and 
child  to  starve." 

"  Mr.  Moreau  did  get  into  trouble,"  timidly  answered  the 
boy. 

"  That 's  the  one.  He  robbed  the  naval  department. 
Well,  young  sir,  you  must  go  to  the  naval  department. 
They  can  undoubtedly  tell  you  there  what  has  become  of 
his  wife." 

"  That 's  a  good  idea,"  cried  Dominic.  "  Let  us  go  to  the 
pay-office." 

The  two  friends,  now  inseparable,  ^ent  together  to  the 
naval  pay-office,  where,  after  waiting  for  two  hours,  they 
were  sent  from  clerk  to  clerk  and  finally  to  the  head  book- 
keeper, a  good-natured  old  man,  to  whom  Daniel  told  the 
story  of  the  castaway.  He  listened  attentively,  and  when 
the  young  man  finished,  shook  hands  with  him  cordially 
and  said :  — 

"  You  are  a  good  fellow,  and  I  am  very  glad  that  I  can 
help  you.  Mrs.  Moreau  came  here,  not  three  months  ago, 
to  bring  back  the  money  which  her  unfortunate  husband 
took  from  the  department.  I  can,  therefore,  tell  you  ex- 
actly where  she  lives.  She  is  not  in  Cette ;  she  has  gone 
with  her  daughter  to  a  little  house  in  the  country  belong- 
ing to  her  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Martin,  in  the  village  of 
Balaruc,  about  three  miles  out  of  town.  She  lives  there 
very  quietly,  I  hear,  and  you  are  sure  to  find  her  at  home. 
The  poor  woman  will  be  sorry  to  hear  your  sad  news.  She 

5 


66  A   MISTAKE. 

loved  her  wretched  husband  in  spite  of  all  his  faults.  Bas- 
tien  was  an  old  friend  of  mine.  He  was  more  thoughtless 
than  wicked ;  and  on  her  last  visit  to  me  she  told  me 
how  much  she  wished  to  go  out  and  join  him." 

Daniel  wrote  down  Mrs.  Moreau's  address  and  thanked 
the  kind  bookkeeper,  who  said,  as  he  took  leave  of  him : 
"  Don't  you  want  to  be  a  sailor,  my  boy  ?  If  you  ever 
need  my  help,  come  to  me  freely.  Ask  for  Mr.  Davis,  the 
head  bookkeeper." 


"He  plunged  his  hand  into  the  drawer. 


CHAPTEK   VI. 


A    FALSE    FRIEND. 

IT  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon ;  so,  in  spite  of  Dan- 
iel's impatience,  his  companion  persuaded  him  to  postpone 
their  trip  to  Balaruc  until  the  next  day.  The  sailor  could 
not  disguise  his  annoyance  at  the  prospect  that  the  boy 
would  so  soon  fulfil  his  charge.  "  I  should  really  like  to 
know,"  he  said,  "  why  you  are  in  such  a  hurry.  The 
poor  woman  will  be  made  very  unhappy  by  your  sad 


68  A  FALSE   FRIEND. 

news.  Do  leave  her  a  few  more  days  in  peace.  And 
then,  think  how  well  off  we  are  at  the  Three  Parrots. 
We  shall  have  to  come  down  to  hard  tack  soon  enough. 
Do  let  us  profit  by  this  opportunity.  When  you 
have  returned  what  money  remains,  if  this  woman 
don't  give  us  a  *good  round  sum  for  our  pains,  we  shall 
have  to  set  sail  without  further  delay,  for,  for  my  own 
part,  I  have  n't  a  cent  in  my  pocket.  Why  should  n't  you 
keep  the  money  ?  Did  n't  the  miner  give  it  to  you  out- 
right ? " 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  the  boy ;  "  but  I  promised  my  father 
that.  I  would  only  keep  what  was  strictly  necessary  for 
my  expenses,  and  would  give  the  rest  to  Mrs.  Moreau.  I 
will  not  break  my  promise." 

All  resistance  was  vain,  and  Dominic  apparently  made 
up  his  mind  to  accept  the  situation  cheerfully.  To  make 
the  best  of  their  remaining  time,  he  took  Daniel  to  see  the 
principal  sights  of  the  city,  though  not  without  many 
pauses  at  the  taverns  by  the  way ;  then  they  returned  to 
the  Three  Parrots,  where  a  dinner,  as  delicious  as  the  one 
of  the  day  before,  awaited  them. 

Next  morning  Daniel,  with  his  inseparable  friend,  left  the 
hotel  bright  and  early,  and,  hiring  a  carriage  from  a  neigh- 
boring stable  by  the  landlady's  advice,  set  out  for  the 
village  home  of  Mrs.  Moreau.  Balaruc  is  the  Saint  Cloud 
of  Cette ;  the  charming  cottages  lie  amidst  lovely  gardens 
on  the  shores  of  Lake  Thau.  The  road  leading  to  it  winds 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  69 

picturesquely  along  the  lake,  formerly  an  estuary  of  the 
Mediterranean,  its  brackish  waters  being  only  separated 
from  the  sea  by  a  narrow  strip  of  sand. 

Two  hours  after  they  left  Cette,  our  travellers  came  in 
sight  of  the  outskirts  of  Balaruc.  Daniel  questioned  a 
passer-by,  who  pointed  out  Mrs.  Moreau's  pretty  cottage 
near  the  lake.  The  carriage  stopped  at  a  handsome  iron 
gate.  The  young  man  jumped  quickly  out  and  seeing  a 
chain  hanging  at  the  side,  rang  the  bell  attached  to  it  vio- 
lently. Dominic  joined  his  comrade,  and  curiously  exam- 
ined the  house  through  the  fence,  expressing  the  result  of 
his  examination  by  the  words :  "  My  eyes !  I  should  n't 
mind  living  there  myself,  and  I  'm  sure  the  owners  of 
such  an  establishment  won't  want  to  take  our  money 
from  us." 

As  no  one  appeared  in  the  garden,  Daniel  rang  again. 
"Everybody  must  be  in  bed,"  said  Dominic.  "All  the 
windows  are  shut.  Rich  people  are  never  early  risers. 
But  look,  young  one  !  What  do  I  see  up  yonder  ?  "  And 
he  pointed  to  the  top  of  the  gate. 

The  youth  raised  his  eyes,  and  saw  a  board  inscribed  in 
large  letters:  "House  to  let.  Apply  to  Mrs.  Fonblanc, 
house-agent,  Bath  Street." 

"  Impossible !  "  he  cried.   "  There  must  be  some  mistake." 

"  Well,"  said  the  sailor,  "  let  us  go  to  Mrs.  Fonblanc ; 
she  may  be  able  to  tell  us." 

The  office  was  not  far  off,  and  the  agent  informed  Dan- 


70  A  FALSE   FRIEND. 

iel  that  the  house  had  indeed  been  occupied  for  some 
years  by  Mrs.  Moreau,  but  that  the  lady  went  away  a  fort- 
night since  with  her  daughter.  Her  brother-in-law,  who 
owned  the  house,  had  sold  it  to  a  tradesman,  who  proposed 
to  let  it  during  the  bathing  season. 

"  Where  does  Mrs.  Moreau  live  now  ? "  asked  Daniel. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  agent.  "  However,  before  she 
went  away,  she  asked  me  to  send  her  letters  to  the  Hotel 
des  Strangers  at  Cette.  I  sent  a  letter  to  that  address, 
about  ten  days  ago,  postmarked  Melbourne,  which  must 
have  gone  astray,  for  it  was  covered  with  the  stamps  of 
the  various  offices  through  which  it  had  passed." 

Daniel  paid  no  attention  to  the  woman's  last  words. 
Getting  hastily  into  the  carriage,  he  cried  to  the  driver : 
"  Quick,  to  the  Hotel  des  Strangers  !  A  handsome  gratu- 
ity, if  you  lose  no  time."  The  coachman,  stimulated  by 
this  promise,  whipped  his  horse,  which  broke  into  a  gallop. 
The  boy  had  forgotten  Dominic,  who  was  engaged  in  delib- 
erately picking  out  the  best  cigars  in  the  shop ;  but  with 
a  few  quick  strides,  the  active  sailor  caught  up  with  the 
carriage,  although  he  did  not  hide  his  displeasure  from 
Daniel. 

"  If  we  should  miss  her  again ! "  said  the  latter. 

"  Any  one  would  think,  to  hear  you  talk,"  growled  the 
sailor,  "that  these  people  were  running  away  from  us. 
Don't  be  alarmed,  we  shall  find  them  soon  enough,  in  all 
conscience." 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  71 

The  driver  urged  his  horse  to  such  a  speed  that  an 
hour  later  the  carriage  drew  up  before  the  great  doors  of 
the  Hotel  des  Etrangers.  In  spite  of  his  prejudices,  Domi- 
nic was  obliged  to  confess  that  it  threw  the  Three  Par- 
rots completely  into  the  shade.  Servants  dressed  in 
handsome  livery  stood  on  the  steps,  ready  to  receive  the 
travellers ;  but  the  sight  of  the  two  sailors  descending 
from  the  carriage  seemed  to  inspire  them  with  the  great- 
est scorn.  Daniel,  dismayed  by  this  reception,  did  not 
know  which  way  to  turn,  when  he  saw,  standing  in  the 
doorway,  a  person  dressed  in  black,  with  a  white  cravat, 
who  seemed  to  be  looking  at  him  with  disagreeable  curi- 
osity. Hat  in  hand  the  young  man  marched  boldly  up  to 
this  gentleman,  and  asked  him  if  Mrs.  Moreau  was  stay- 
ing at  the  hotel. 

"  Mrs.  Moreau  ? "  said  the  man,  tossing  his  sleek  head. 
"  Don't  know." 

"  But  I  am  sure  that  she  came  to  this  hotel,"  said 
Daniel. 

"  That  may  be.    What  do  you  want  of  her  ? " 
"  I  have  an  important  errand  to  her  which  cannot  be 
delayed." 

"  My  hotel  is  patronized  by  so  many  distinguished  peo- 
ple," haughtily  said  the  elegant  gentleman,  "that  I  can- 
not pretend  to  remember  all  their  names ;  however,"  he 
added  condescendingly,  "  as  your  business  is  important,  I 
will  look  over  the  register." 


72  A  FALSE   FRIEND. 

He  went  into  the  office,  followed  by  Daniel,  and  open- 
ing a  huge  leather-bound  book,  rapidly  turned  over  the 
leaves. 

"Mrs.  Moreau,  —  I  don't  find  the  name.  Stay!  here 
it  is.  Mrs.  Moreau  and  daughter  and  Mr.  Martin." 

"  Those  are  the  people,"  said  Daniel. 

"  Arrived  May  28,  left  June  14,"  continued  the  man. 

"  What !  gone  ? "  cried  the  youth. 

"  Party  left  yesterday." 

"  But  where  did  they  go  ? "  inquired  Daniel  anxiously. 

"  That,  my  dear  sir,  is  none  of  my  business,"  said  the 
man.  "  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  questioning  my  guests. 
Let  every  one  mind  his  own  business,  I  say.  I  see  by  the 
register  that  they  left  no  address.  Probably  these  ladies 
were  not  anxious  to  have  their  whereabouts  known.  That 
ought  to  satisfy  you,  I  think." 

Daniel  could  scarcely  retain  his  tears.  Leaving  the 
office,  he  found  Dominic  at  the  door. 

"  Have  they  been  ill  treating  you  in  there  ? "  said  the 
sailor,  seeing  the  tears  in  his  eyes.  "  I  stayed  outside, 
because  I  don't  like  to  be  shut  up  in  such  places ;  but  if 
that  fellow  in  the  black  coat  gave  you  a  licking,  I  '11  knock 
him  down  for  you." 

"  No,  Dominic,  that 's  not  it.  They  are  gone,  and  they 
only  went  yesterday,  and  no  one  knows  what  has  become 
of  them.  When  I  think  that  I  was  so  near  them  !  How 
can  I  find  them  now  ?  What  shall  I  do  ?  " 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  73 

"  Well,  well,"  said  the  sailor  kindly,  "  you  need  n't  cry. 
We  shall  find  them  again  —  devil  take  them  !  Let  us  go 
back  to  the  hotel;  we  can  talk  more  freely  there.  All 
these  lackeys  stare  at  us  with  eyes  as  big  as  saucers,  till  I 
long  to  send  them  heels  over  head  for  having  let  your  lady 
go  before  you  saw  her." 

Eeturning  to  the  hotel,  the  two  friends  argued  long  and 
hotly  over  the  best  means  to  find  Mrs.  Moreau.  Eefusing 
various  impractical  suggestions  from  Dominic,  Daniel  con- 
cluded to  go  and  ask  the  advice  of  the  friendly  bookkeeper 
at  the  pay-office;  but  good  Mr.  Davis  could  only  advise 
the  boy  to  put  an  advertisement  in  the  Parisian  papers,  in 
the  hope  that  one  of  them  might  fall  into  the  hands  of 
some  interested  person  or  of  some  member  of  the  family. 

The  same  day  Daniel  inserted  an  advertisement  in  sev- 
eral papers,  announcing  to  Mrs.  Moreau  that  Mr.  Eiva,  at 
the  Three  Parrots,  would  like  her  address,  that  he  might 
send  her  a  most  important  message. 

A  week  passed  and  no  news  came.  Dominic  continued 
to  lead  a  happy  life,  and  Daniel  saw  the  miner's  money 
wasting  rapidly  away,  to  his  no  small  alarm.  "If  we  go. 
on  in  this  way,"  he  said  to  the  sailor  one  day,  "  we  snall 
soon  have  spent  every  cent.  I  hear  nothing  of  Mrs.  Mo- 
reau, and  I  despair  of  ever  finding  her." 

"  All  the  more  reason  to  make  yourself  easy.  Did  n't 
your  father  tell  you  that  you  might  keep  the  money  until 
you  found  the  lady  ? " 


74  A  FALSE   FRIEND. 

"  Certainly ;  but  I  cannot  wait  much  longer.  I  have 
asked  Mr.  Davis  to  find  nie  a  berth,  and  I  expect  to 
sail  very  soon.  If  you  like  to  come  with  me,  I  am  sure 
that  I  can  make  some  such  arrangement.  We  have  spent 
nearly  two  hundred  dollars  already ;  that  is  far  too  much, 
so  I  intend  to  send  the  rest  to  my  father  with  the  port- 
folio. It  will  be  safe  in  his  hands,  and  my  mind  will  be  at 
rest." 

"  Oh,  come  now,  youngster,"  said  Dominic  eagerly,  "  you 
would  n't  do  that !  We  may  not  be  able  to  ship  for  some 
time.  What  can  we  do  without  money  in  the  mean  time  ? " 

"We  can  do  —  don't  be  offended  —  exactly  what  you 
would  have  done  if  you  had  never  met  me,"  was  the  sim- 
ple reply.  "  We  must  try  to  find  a  ship  at  once." 

Dominic  muttered  a  few  words  between  his  teeth 
about  the  stupidity  and  obstinacy  of  some  people;  but 
he  made  no  more  objections,  and,  stuffing  his  old  cap 
on  his  head,  he  went  out  hastily.  He  did  not  come  back 
for  dinner.  Daniel  waited  in  vain,  thinking  that  his  reso- 
lution had  doubtless  offended  his  friend,  which  he  regretted, 
for  he  began  to  be  warmly  attached  to  his  queer  compan- 
ion, whose  looks  affected  him  but  little. 

Left  alone  in  his  room,  the  boy  took  out  the  portfolio  and 
began  to  count  the  money  which  it  contained.  There  was 
but  one  gold  piece  and  three  one  hundred-dollar  bills, 
which  he  spread  out  on  the  table.  He  could  not  remem- 
ber ever  having  so  much  money  in  his  possession  before, 


THE   TWO   CABIN    BOYS.  75 

and  he  sighed  when  he  thought  that  if  it  had  not  been 
for  his  father's  scruples  this  money  would  have  been  his 
own.  But  his  father's  wishes  were  law  to  him.  He  never 
dreamed  of  disobeying  them. 

The  portfolio  lay  open  upon  the  table,  and  his  eyes  fell 
mechanically  upon  the  fastening  of  the  secret  drawer. 

"  Why,"  thought  Daniel,  "  did  the  miner  forbid  me  to 
open  that  drawer,  when  he  said  himself  that  there  was  noth- 
ing valuable  in  it  ?  Perhaps  he  was  afraid  that  if  I  did 
not  find  his  widow  I  might  throw  away  things  that  were 
insignificant  to  me." 

He  took  up  the  portfolio;  his  fingers  were  on  the 
drawer. 

"  There  certainly  are  no  jewels  there,"  he  said,  "  I  should 
feel  them  through  the  leather.  It  feels  like  a  photograph. 
Who  knows  ?  Perhaps  it 's  a  picture  of  Bastien's  wife  or 
daughter.  It  cannot  be  his  own.  He  would  never  have 
been  so  careful  of  it.  But  if  it  is  Mrs.  Moreau's  picture, 
I  had  better  take  it  into  my  own  keeping.  It  might  help 
me  to  recognize  her,  if  I  should  ever  come  across  her." 

His  finger  pressed  the  spring ;  still  he  hesitated. 

"  I  promised  a  dying  man  that  I  would  never  open  this 
drawer,"  said  he;  "it  is  almost  as  sacred  as  an  oath. 
Yes ;  but  Bastien  was  sure  that  I  should  find  his  wife  and 
child  at  Cette.  If  I  look  at  this  photograph,  it  is  only 
to  help  me  in  my  search.  That  would  not  be  breaking  my 
promise." 


76  A   FALSE   FRIEND. 

This  subtle  reasoning  seemed  to  ease  his  conscience. 
He  opened  the  drawer,  and  took  out  a  small  package  of 
papers  tied  up  with  red  ribbon.  The  first  thing  that  met 
his  eyes  when  he  opened  the  package  was,  as  he  had 
guessed,  a  photograph,  the  portrait  of  a  young  woman. 
Daniel  turned  the  card,  and  saw  on  the  back  these  words : 
"  Margaret  Moreau,  Jan.  1,  1857 " :  that  was  the  date  of 
Bastien's  flight.  Mrs.  Moreau  could  not  have  changed  so 
much  hi  six  years  that  he  could  not  recognize  her,  and  he 
therefore  studied  the  picture  long  and  carefully  to  impress 
it  on  his  memory. 

Under  this  picture  was  another,  the  photograph  of  a 
little  girl  of  four  or  five  years  old ;  then  a  child's  curl,  a 
dried  rose,  and  lastly  some  letters.  Daniel  glanced  care- 
lessly at  these  tokens  of  affection ;  he  was  about  to  restore 
them  to  their  hiding-place,  retaining  Mrs.  Moreau's  pic- 
ture, when  he  perceived  that  the  drawer  was  not  empty.  He 
took  out  a  little  note-book,  which  he  instantly  found  to  be 
a  sort  of  journal. 

The  boy's  curiosity  was  aroused ;  his  conscience,  on  the 
contrary,  was  lulled  to  sleep :  he  sat  down,  and  read,  page 
by  page,  the  brief  recital  of  Bastien's  adventures.  It  was 
the  same  story  which  the  miner  had  told  Daniel,  with  a  few 
added  details. 

Day  by  day  the  note-book  showed  how  Bastien  gradu- 
ally yielded  to  the  weight  of  his  misfortunes.  Ill  luck 
seemed  to  pursue  him  like  a  fate  from  the  time  that  he 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  77 

landed  in  Australia.  At  last  he  resolved  to  abandon  the 
useless  contest. 

"  All  is  over ! "  said  the  note-book.  "  After  working  for  a 
month  and  a  half,  we  -discover  that  we  are  on  the  wrong 
track,  and  that  the  creek  which  seemed  so  likely  has  not  one 
trace  of  gold.  My  companions  have  gone.  I  refused  to 
go  with  them.  I  will  die  here,  on  the  very  spot  where 
Fortune  seemed  to  smile  on  me  for  the  first  time.  I  have 
spent  the  whole  day  in  wandering  about  the  shaft ;  it  shall 
serve  as  my  tomb.  These  lines  are  the  last  that  I  shall 
write.  Will  those  who  may  find  this  journal  kindly  send 
it  to  my  wife,  whose  address  is  on  the  first  page  ? " 

"  Poor  man,"  said  Daniel,  "  how  he  suffered !  and  after  all 
he  perished  in  the  Gulf  of  Cerberus ! " 

He  turned  the  page  arid  read :  "  Saved !  Saved !  Thank 
God !  Gold !  Gold !  Last  night  I  went  down  into  the 
shaft.  I  loaded  my  revolver,  but  before  I  died  I  wished  to 
address  a  last  farewell  to  you,  my  beloved  wife.  I  knelt 
and  prayed.  My  courage  failed  me  when  I  thought  of 
you,  and  of  my  daughter,  whom  I  so  longed  to  see  once 
more ;  and  yet  there  was  nothing  left  for  me  but  death. 
I  rose  slowly.  As  I  leaned  against  the  wall,  I  loosened  a 
large  stone,  which  brought  several  others  with  it  in  its  fall. 
I  thought  that  I  should  be  buried  beneath  the  ruins,  which 
would  have  been  too  slow  and  painful  a  death.  My  revol- 
ver fell  from  my  hand  and  disappeared  in  the  rubbish. 
I  must  have  it  at  any  cost,  and,  as  it  was  now  pitch-dark, 


78  A   FALSE    FRIEND. 

I  struck  a  light  with  my  flint  and  steel.  Imagine  my  joy, 
my  rapture,  my  ecstacy,  when,  holding  the  light  close  to 
the  ground,  I  discovered  that  my  feet  were  literally  buried 
in  nuggets  of  gold.  The  long-sought  metal  was  fouud,  it 
surrounded  me  on  every  hand.  I  threw  myself  upon  the 
precious  rocks.  I  kissed  them,  I  wept,  I  was  fairly  mad. 
1  could  not  sleep.  When  the  sun  rose  I  left  the  shaft.  I 
gazed  eagerly  about,  hardly  daring  to  believe  my  senses. 
I  trembled  lest  one  of  my  comrades  should  return  and 
dispute  the  treasure  with  me.  I  want  it  all,  —  all  for 
you." 

Daniel  felt  his  heart  throb  wildly  as  he  read  this  mar- 
vellous tale.  Further  on,  the  miner  added:  "I  have 
worked  three  days,  and  I  carry  away  with  me  all  the  gold 
which  I  can  drag.  But  before  'leaving,  I  carefully  con- 
cealed the  mouth  of  the  pit,  that  no  one  may  suspect  its 
existence.  This  was  a  most  difficult  task.  I  noted  down 
its  situation,  and  have  made  a  plan  of  the  place,  that  1 
may  be  able  to  return  to  it ;  for  I  want  every  particle  of 
the  treasure  which  the  creek  contains.  This  plan  shall 
never  leave  my  hands.  I  dare  not  trust  it  to  this  note- 
book, for  fear  —  " 

On  reaching  this  point,  Daniel  heard  his  comrade's  heavy 
and  uncertain  step  on  the  stairs.  Ashamed  to  be  caught 
in  the  very  act  of  committing  such  a  breach  of  trust,  the 
boy  hurriedly  gathered  up  the  papers  and  stuffed  them 
into  their  hiding-place,  pressing  down  the  lid.  In  his 


"  At  this  moment  Dominic  entered." —  Page  81. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  81 

haste  he  dropped  a  scrap  of  paper  out  of  the  note-book, 
and  it  fell  under  the  table.  At  this  moment  Dominic 
entered. 

"  Well,  youngster,"  he  cried  in  a  hoarse  voice,  "  I  hope 
you  '11  be  pleased.  I  've  found  a  captain  who  may  take 
us  both.  But  what  are  you  doing  there,  counting  your 
money  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy,  "  I  wanted  to  see  how  much  I  had 
left  to  send  to  my  father  to-morrow."  And  as  he  spoke, 
he  put  the  bank-bills  back  into  the  portfolio,  and,  as  he 
did  every  night,  he  dropped  it  into  the  bureau-drawer. 

"  All  right,  we  sha'  n't  want  any  more  money,"  added 
the  sailor,  "  as  we  're  going  to  sail  so  soon.  Good-night, 
young  one.  I  'm  going  to  bed,  for  I  've  been  running 
about  the  harbor  all  day,  and  I  'm  fairly  worn  out." 

He  threw  himself  upon  his  bed,  dressed  as  he  was, 
merely  drawing  off  his  boots.  Daniel  undressed,  put  out 
the  candle,  and  soon  fell  asleep,  thinking  of  Australia  and 
its  rivers  of  gold. 

The  sailor  also  seemed  to  be  somewhat  disturbed.  Once 
he  called  Daniel  in  an  undertone.  Getting  no  answer,  he 
arose  quietly,  drew  a  knife  from  his  pocket,  opened  it,  and 
advanced  cautiously  towards  the  chest  of  drawers.  As 
he  opened  the  drawer  it  gave  a  loud  crack.  The  man 
paused  in  alarm. 

"  If  the  brat  stirs,  I  '11  put  an  end  to  him,"  he  mut- 
tered. 

6 


82  A  FALSE   FRIEND. 

Daniel  slept  peacefully.  His  treacherous  companion 
plunged  his  hand  into  the  half-open  drawer,  swiftly  with- 
drew the  portfolio,  which  he  hid  in  his  bosom ;  then  put- 
ting on  his  cap,  he  took  his  boots  under  his  arm  and 
silently  left  the  room. 


"  Daniel  raised  his  head." 


CHAPTEK  VII. 

BASTIEN   MOREAU'S   SECRET. 

^  Daniel  waked  next  morning,  he  was  greatly  sur- 
prised to  find  that  Dominic  was  already  up  and  had  left 
the  room.  Still  his  absence  did  not  create  any  suspicions, 
and  he  opened  the  window  and  sat  down  to  look  out  over 
the  harbor  while  he  waited  for  his  friend's  return. 

But  the  boy's  mind,  filled  with  the  strange  story  of 
the  gold-digger,  was  far  away  from  Cette.  It  was  beyond 
the  sea,  in  the  fabulous  land  of  Australia.  So  there  really 
were  countries  where  one  might  become  rich  at  a  single 
stroke,  where  one  had  only  to  dig  a  pit  to  see  a  stream  of 
gold  come  pouring  into  it.  Why  should  not  he,  too,  go 
there  and  seek  his  fortune  ?  True,  Bastien  had  to  struggle 


84  BASTIEN    MOREAU'S   SECRET. 

long  and  hard  with  want  and  misery,  but  then  what  suc- 
cess had  crowned  his  efforts !  Daniel  was  young,  he  had 
plenty  of  time  before  him.  What  were  a  few  years  more 
or  less,  if  he  might  return  to  Castel  some  day  with  mil- 
lions ? 

If  he  only  knew  exactly  where  the  miner  found  his 
treasure.  The  entries  in  the  note-book  told  him  that 
Bastien  Moreau  had  left  Melbourne  and  travelled  far  into 
the  interior  until  he  reached  a  great  river  running  through 
a  desert.  But  what  river  was  it  ?  The  miner's  directions 
were  vague  and  anything  but  precise. 

Perhaps  he  had  not  read  them  with  sufficient  care,  and 
then  the  sailor  had  interrupted  him  suddenly.  The  port- 
folio was  still  there ;  nothing  was  easier  than  to  resume 
his  reading. 

He  left  the  window  and  went  to  the  bureau.  The 
drawer  was  half  open.  As  he  was  about  to  put  in  his 
hand  he  paused,  struck  with  remorse.  To  re-read  the 
manuscript,  he  must  open  the  secret  compartment  again ; 
again  break  the  promise  he  had  given.  Yesterday  he  had 
had  a  good  excuse :  he  wanted  to  see  the  widow's  picture, 
to  aid  him  in  his  search.  To-day  his  indiscretion  was  en- 
tirely selfish.  No,  decidedly  he  would  respect  Bastien's 
secret.  He  turned  away  from  the  tempting  piece  of  fur- 
niture. 

But  he  came  back  to  it.  His  too  easy  conscience  was  as 
ready  with  excuses  as  on  the  previous  day,  and  with  a  hes- 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  85 

itating  hand,  he  opened  the  drawer.  The  portfolio  was 
not  there. 

After  an  instant's  surprise  he  thought  that  he  must  be 
mistaken.  He  drew  out  one  drawer  after  another;  all 
were  empty.  Perhaps  the  portfolio  had  slipped  down  behind 
one  of  the  drawers.  He  anxiously  looked,  but  in  vain. 

For  a  moment  he  stood  rooted  to  the  spot.  Then,  seized 
by  a  mad  hope,  he  again  searched  the  chest  of  drawers, 
turned  his  pockets  inside  out,  felt  the  lining  of  his  clothes. 
Nothing ! 

A  suspicion  then  darted  across  his  brain. 

"  Dominic  has  taken  the  portfolio !"  he  cried. 

With  three  bounds  he  reached  the  door,  descended  the 
narrow  staircase,  and  stood  before  Mrs.  Ginestous,  still  sit- 
ting motionless  behind  her  counter.. 

"  Where  is  Dominic  ? "  he  asked  in  a  choked  voice. 

"You  know  as  well  as  I  do,"  calmly  replied  the  land- 
lady. "Mr.  Martigues  sailed  last  night;  he  came  down 
after  bidding  you  good-by,  and  generously  paid  your  bill. 
His  ship  weighed  anchor  this  very  morning.  He  said  to 
me,  as  he  left :  '  Mrs.  Ginestous,  I  intrust  the  youngster 
,  to  you,  he  won't  sail  for  several  days.  I  'm  sorry  to  have 
i  to  leave  him  alone,  but  duty  calls  and  I  know  that  you  '11 
»treat  him  like  your  own  child.'  Dear  Mr.  Dominic,  he  is 
so  good !  just  fancy  —  " 

"  So  Dominic  has  gone  !  "  interrupted  the  boy.  "  You 
are  quite  sure  ? " 


86  BASTIEN   MOREAU'S   SECRET. 

"  Perfectly  sure,"  said  the  stout  lady.  "  The  pilot  who 
took  his  ship  out  of  the  harbor  has  just  been  in  for  a  glass 
of  brandy.  Come,  my  boy,  you  must  n't  be  so  down  in 
the  mouth.  Mr.  Martigues  will  be  back  again  one  of 
these  days,  and  you  will  meet  him  again." 

"  I  hope  so,"  muttered  the  youth,  who  had  listened  to 
the  landlady's  words  with  a  pale  face  and  quivering  lips. 

At  one  moment  he  was  about  to  accuse  Dominic,  to  ex- 
pose his  conduct ;  but  what  would  be  the  use  ?  The 
sailor  had  none  but  friends  in  the  house.  He  could  only 
make  an  unavailing  scandal.  He  therefore  contented  him- 
self with  thanking  Mrs.  Ginestous,  and,  with  a  bursting 
heart  and  despondent  mien,  went  back  to  his  room. 

There,  once  alone,  he  sat  down  by  the  table  and,  burying 
his  face  in  his  hands,  burst  into  tears.  With  his  charac- 
teristic variableness,  he  bitterly  reproached  himself  for 
his  conduct  since  leaving  Castel,  for  his  absurd  confidence 
in  an  utter  stranger,  for  the  extravagances  which  he  had 
committed,  and  above  all  for  the  wicked  indiscretion  which 
had  led  him  to  break  his  promise.  How  could  he  tell  his 
father  of  the  loss  of  the  portfolio  ?  How  confess  to  him 
his  fresh  faults  ?  What  was  he  to  do  without  money  ?  If 
he  could  not  manage  to  ship  on  some  vessel  at  once,  he 
would  be  reduced  to  beg. 

All  at  once,  amidst  his  tears,  he  saw  a  shining  object  on 
the  table.  It  was  the  twenty-dollar  gold-piece  which  he 
had  taken  out  the  night  before  and  which  he  had  left  there 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  87 

in  his  haste  to  hide  the  contents  of  the  portfolio  from  the 
sailor.  This  discovery  consoled  him  somewhat.  Thanks 
to  this  scanty  sum,  carefully  hoarded,  he  might  wait  for  a 
good  opportunity  to  sail.  He  put  the  coin  into  his  pocket 
and  rose,  more  composed,  and  decided  to  ask  good  Mr. 
Da  vis's  advice. 

His  hat  was  lying  on  the  floor,  where  he  threw  it  the 
previous  nigjit,  before  going  to  bed.  As  he  stooped  to 
pick  it  up,  he  saw  close  beside  it  a  scrap  of  paper,  torn 
and  yellow,  but  carefully  folded  together.  He  mechani- 
cally took  it  up  and  unfolded  it.  The  paper  contained  a 
few  lines,  written  in  a  cramped,  delicate  chirography,  in 
which  he  recognized  at  a  glance  the  hand  of  Bastien 
Moreau.  He  read :  — 

"Starting  from  the  point  where  the  Murrumbidgee 
joins  the  Murray,  follow  the  right  bank  of  the  river  for 
about  six  hundred  paces  down  to  a  narrow  rocky  ravine, 
the  mouth  of  which  is  shaded  by  a  few  gum-trees ;  then, 
turning  your  back  on  the  river,  go  to  the  north  and  fol- 
low the  course  of  the  ravine ;  after  walking  two  hours  you 
will  come  to  an  enormous  stone  standing  alone,  which 
marks  — 

The  sentence  was  here  interrupted  by  a  rent  which  had 
carried  off  the  lower  corner  of  the  paper.  In  the  opposite 
corner,  these  words  were  still  visible :  "  which  runs  down 
twenty-eight  feet";  and  below  were  a  few  lines,  marked 
with  figures,  joining  together  round  marks,  probably  the 
remnant  of  a  plan. 


88  BASTIEN   MOREAU'S   SECRET. 

Daniel  read  these  mysterious  words  several  times  over. 
There  was  no  doubt  of  it.  This  was  the  plan  which  the 
miner  mentioned  in  his  journal,  and  which  he  always  car- 
ried about  him. 

"  Why,"  thought  the  boy,  "  is  this  plan  torn  ?  Perhaps 
it  is  because  Bastien,  having  exhausted  the  mine,  had  no 
further  need  of  it.  But  then  why  should  he  have  kept 
this  fragment?  And  what  can  the  Murray  be?  and  the 
Murrumbidgee  ?  I  will  know  one  of  these  days,"  he  said 
to  himself;  "at  any  rate  I  have  the  mysterious  plan, 
and  as  Mrs.  Moreau  is  not  here  to  profit  by  it,  it  is  only 
fair  that  I  should  make  use  of  it.  This  plan  was  evi- 
dently intended  for  me;  a  providential  chance  saved  it 
from  Dominic's  hands  and  placed  it  in  mine." 

He  carefully  folded  the  paper,  put  it  in  his  waistcoat 
pocket,  and  seizing  his  hat,  rushed  out. 

As  he  hurried  towards  the  pay-office,  he  muttered :  "  On 
leaving  the  point  where  the  Murrumbidgee  joins  the 
Murray  —  six  hundred  paces.  I  shall  never  forget  it." 

Mr.  Davis  was  not  in  his  office.  Daniel  waited  for  him 
with  ardent  impatience,  and  as  soon  as  he  caught  sight  of 
the  good  bookkeeper,  ran  to  meefc  him,  crying :  — 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Davis.     I  am  off  for  Australia." 

"  Good  morning,  my  lad,"  was  the  quiet  reply.  "  Then 
you  've  found  a  vessel  ? " 

"No,  sir,  but  I  want  to  go  to  Australia." 

"  Very  well,  come  into  my  office,  and  we  11  look  over  the 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  89 

list  of  ships  advertised  to  sail.  We  may  find  something 
that  will  suit  you." 

Daniel  followed  Mr.  Davis,  who,  less  impatient  than  he, 
made  his  arrangements  for  the  day  most  leisurely.  He 
hung  his  hat  and  overcoat  on  a  peg,  slowly  drew  on  his 
black  alpaca  over-sleeves,  and  sat  down  in  his  great  arm- 
chair. Then  he  pulled  towards  him  a  register  bound  in 
green,  with  a  red  square  on  the  back,  inscribed  in  gilt 
letters  with  the  words  :  "  Shipping  List,  1873."  But>  just  as 
lie  was  about  to  open  it,  he  changed  his  mind,  took  from 
his  waistcoat  pocket  a  small  tortoise-shell  snuff-box,  and  pro- 
ceeded with  all  precaution  to  take  a  solemn  pinch  of  snuff. 

Daniel's  southern  blood  boiled.  At  last  the  book  keeper 
put  a  respectable-looking  pair  of  spectacles  on  his  nose  and 
opened  the  book. 

"  We  said  Australia,"  he  said  quietly.  "  Let  me  see,  let 
me  see,"  and  his  finger  ran  down  the  list  of  ships.  "  Here 
is  the  Juno,  Captain  Marquand,  loaded  for  Grahams- 
town.  That  is  at  the  Cape,  —  not  what  you  want.  The 
Bertha  Alice,  for  Montevideo.  The  St.  James  —  Are  you 
absolutely  bent  on  going  to  the  antipodes  ? " 

"  If  I  possibly  can,  sir,"  said  Daniel  timidly. 

"  Because,  if  not,  here  is  the  White  Cross,  loaded  for  Kio 
Janeiro.  The  captain  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  I  could  rec- 
ommend you  to  him." 

"  I  should  prefer  Australia." 

"You  are   determined,  it   seems.     But   what   are   you 


§6  fcASTIEN   MOREAU'S   SECRET. 

going  to  do  there?  It  is  not  such  an  attractive  coun- 
try." 

"  I  hardly  know  what  my  reason  is,  myself,"  stammered 
the  young  man ;  "  but  I  want  to  ship  for  one  of  the  Aus- 
tralian ports,  Sydney  or  Melbourne." 

"  Well,  in  that  case,  my  lad,  you  won't  ship  from  Cette," 
replied  the  obliging  bookkeeper.  "  I  have  looked  through 
the  whole  list  of  ships,  those  that  are  loading  as  well  as 
those  that  are  sailing,  and  I  don't  see  a  single  one  that  is 
going  to  the  land  of  your  dreams." 

"  That 's  a  great  pity,  sir ;  but  what  would  you  advise 
me  to  do,  then  ? " 

"  Engage  on  the  White  Cross.  You  will  see  Brazil,  which 
is  quite  as  good  as  Australia,  and  before  you  've  earned  an 
officer's  berth,  you  will  be  sure  to  find  an  opportunity  to 
go  to  Melbourne.  I  will  give  you  a  line*  to  the  captain ; 
he  may  need  a  cabin  boy.  As  for  wages,  you  know  cabin 
boys  are  always  wanted  on  board  ship." 

"  I  thank  you,"  said  Daniel,  "  but  I  should  like  to  think 
the  matter  over  before  I  decide." 

The  boy  had  not  foreseen  this  disappointment,  and  was 
about  to  leave  the  office,  quite  crestfallen. 

"  Well,  my  lad,  so  the  bank  is  closed.  Any  one  might 
know  that  by  one  look  at  your  mug." 

At  these  words,  uttered  in  a  cheerful  tone,  Daniel  raised 
his  head,  and  saw  before  him  a  man  of  gigantic  stature, 
whose  red  face,  framed  in  a  short,  tawny  beard,  and  lighted 


THE    TWO   CABIN    BOYS.  91 

up  by  small,  sharp  eyes,  wore  a  most  attractive  air  of  jollity. 
A  gold-laced  cap,  with  a  deep  visor,  and  a  blue  cloth  pilot- 
jucket  showed  him  to  be  the  captain  of  a  merchantman. 
.he  giant,  enchanted  with  his  own  joke,  was  seized  with  a 
loud  iit  of  laughter  which  shook  his  whole  huge  person. 

Daniel  stood  abashed,  hat  in  hand,  before  this  strange 
creature. 

"  I  suppose  that  the  locker  is  empty,"  he  continued, 
"  and  you  Ve  been  asking  for  an  advance,  but  it 's  a  hard 
squeeze." 

"  No,  captain,"  said  the  young  man,  "  that 's  not  it. 
I  've  been  asking  Mr.  Davis  for  a  berth." 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  captain,  growing  serious,  "  you  want  to 
ship  ? " 

"  Yes,  captain,  as  cabin  boy." 

"  I  thought  so.     How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  Fifteen." 

"  And  you  have  not  found  a  ship  ? " 

"  No,  captain.  At  least,  I  did  not  find  one  because  I 
only  want  to  go  to  Australia." 

"Ah!  indeed!"  said  the  captain.  "And  what  is  your 
name  ? " 

"  Daniel  Riva,  from  Castel,  in  the  Lower  Pyrenees." 

"  Have  you  ever  been  on  a  voyage  ? " 

"  No,  captain,  but  I  know  the  sea.  My  father  is  a  pilot, 
and  I  have  been  out  with  him." 

"  You  look  to  me  like  a  strong,  hearty  boy,"  continued 


92  BASTIEN  MOREAU'S  SECRET. 

the  captain.  "  You  are  just  what  I  want  Hark  ye,  I  sail 
to-rnorrow  and  I  need  a  cabin  boy.  I  go  from  here  to  the 
coast  of  Africa,  but  there  I  shall  load  for  Australia.  Will 
that  suit  you  ? " 

"  Oh  yes  !  "  was  Daniel's  joyful  answer. 

"  Well,  your  fist  on  it,  my  lad." 

And  the  captain  completely  swallowed  the  boy's  slender 
hand  in  his  enormous  red  fist.  Then,  searching  in  his 
waistcoat  pocket,  he  drew  out  an  eagle,  which  he  gave  the 
boy.  "There,"  said  he,  "there  are  ten  dollars  earnest 
money.  I  depend  upon  you.  To-morrow,  at  ten  o'clock, 
be  on  board.  You  won't  forget:  the  Jackson,  American 
ship,  Captain  Green,  bound  for  Mogador." 

"  Never  fear,  captain,  I  shall  be  punctual" 


"She  was  a  fine  brig." 


CHAPTER  VIII 


CAPTAIN   GREEN. 

DANIEL  was  true  to  his  appointment  with  Captain 
Green.  At  early  dawn  he  left  the  hospitable  roof  of  Mrs. 
Ginestous,  and  with  his  little  bundle  of  clothes  under  his 
arm  went  gayly  towards  the  harbor. 

It  was  a  splendid  morning.  The  sun  shone  on  the 
many-colored  shipping,  and  a  light  breeze  fluttered  the  can- 
vas and  flags  of  the  forest  of  masts  which  filled  the  great 
dock. 


94  CAPTAIN   GREEN. 

A  custom-house  officer  pointed  out  the  Jackson,  which 
had  left  the  dock,  ready  to  sail,  and  swung  gently  along- 
side the  jetty  which  defends  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 
She  was  a  fine  brig,  of  five  or  six  hundred  tons,  with 
a  well-shaped  black  hull  and  graceful  mainmast.  The 
stars  and  stripes  of  the  United  States  floated  at  the  stern 
and  the  white  sails  hung  half  furled  at  the  yard-arms. 

Daniel,  like  a  true  sailor's  son,  examined  the  vessel 
closely ;  then,  satisfied  with  his  scrutiny,  he  hailed  a  water- 
man in  the  harbor,  who  put  him  on  board  the  Jackson 
with  a  few  strokes  of  the  oars. 

The  cabin  ,boy,  clinging  to  the  companion-way  hanging 
from  the  starboard  port,  raised  himself  nimbly  to  the  deck, 
where  he  had  no  sooner  set  foot  than  he  found  himself 
face  to  face  with  Captain  Green,  who  cried  pleasantly, 
"  Oh !  there  you  are,  youngster.  It  is  not  ten  o'clock  yet. 
I  see  that  you  are  true  to  your  word.  I  want  to  take 
advantage  of  this  fine  breeze.  We  shall  be  off  directly. 
Make  haste  and  stow  your  kit  and  get  to  work." 

"  I  am  ready,  captain." 

"  That 's  right.  Some  one  will  give  you  your  number  in 
the  mess.  By  the  way,  do  you  speak  English  ?  No,  of 
course  not.  Where  should  you  have  learned  it?  But 
you'll  soon  get  used  to  it;  my  men  have  to  speak  all 
languages.  As  all  the  orders  are  given  in  English,  you 
shall  have  a  mate  who  will  interpret  them  to  you."  And, 
turning  to  the  poop,  the  captain  cried  in  stentorian  tones : 
"  HoUo,  hollo  there !  Penguin ! " 


"  You  see  this  boy  ? "  said  the  captain,  pointing  to  Daniel.   '  This  is  the  new  cabin 
hoy  I  told  you  about,"  —  Page  97. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  97 

At  this  summons,  a  cabin  boy  came  running  up  in 
working  dress,  that  is,  barefooted  and  simply  dressed  in 
a  blue  shirt  and  trousers  of  the  same  color.  He  was  about 
the  same  age  as  Daniel,  but  more  delicate  and  slender.  His 
great  blue  eyes  and  golden  curls  gave  him  an  almost  girlish 
look. 

"  You  see  this  boy  ? "  said  the  captain,  pointing  to 
Daniel.  "This  is  the  new  cabin  boy  I  told  you  about. 
Take  him  into  the  forecastle  and  let  him  hang  his  ham- 
mock next  to  yours.  You  are  to  teach  him  his  work.  If 
he  don't  do  well,  you  will  get  the  cat-o'-nine-tails.  You 
may  go." 

Daniel  followed  his  new  friend,  who  led  him  forward 
into  the  tiny  stateroom  between  decks,  which  they  were 
to  share  in  common.  While  he  made  a  hasty  disposal 
of  his  clothes,  he  questioned  Penguin,  who  answered  him 
most  amiably. 

"  The  captain  is  a  good  fellow  and  very  kind,"  he  said, 
"but  you  must  beware  how  you  put  the  mate  out,  for, 
though  he  don't  mean  to  be  rough,  he  has  a  quick  hand  and 
a  hard.  But  you  heard  what  the  captain  said.  For  some 
days  to  come  I  shall  take  all  your  lickings ;  afterwards, 
when  you  have  had  time  to  learn  the  ropes,  I  can  tell  you 
that  you  11  have  to  take  your  turn." 

"  I  'm  afraid  that  I  never  can  learn  English,"  said  Daniel 
somewhat  uneasily. 

"I'll  help  you,"  said  Penguin;  "besides,  the  captain 

7 


98  CAPTAIN    GREEN. 

and  the  mate  speak  French  as  well  as  you  do ;  they  are 
Louisiana  Creoles." 

"  And  you  ? "  asked  the  novice. 

"  Oh,  I  am  from  Quebec.    1  am  a  Canadian." 

"  Then  where  did  you  learn  to  speak  French  so  well  ? " 

"  Oh,  that 's  just  the  way,"  said  the  boy,  laughing,  "  all 
you  foreign  people  look  upon  us  as  utter  savages.  But  they 
speak  French  in  Canada,"  he  added,  with  some  pride,  "  and 
every  good  Canadian  is  as  thorough  a  Frenchman  as  you 
are." 

A  shrill  whistle  interrupted  the  conversation  at  this 
point. 

"  Tumble  up  on  deck  ! "  cried  Penguin.  "  That 's  the 
mate's  whistle." 

As  the  boys  scrambled  up  the  stairs,  they  saw  above 
them  the  withered,  bilious  face  of  the  mate,  who  was  more 
of  a  mulatto  than  a  Creole,  and  who  shouted  angrily : 
"What  are  you  doing  down  below,  you  rascal?  Here  I 
have  been  whistling  for  you  an  hour." 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,  the  captain  ordered  me  to  show  the 
new  cabin  boy  the  ropes."  And  Penguin  pulled  his  com- 
panion forward. 

The  mate  eyed  him  from  head  to  foot,  and  then  said 
abruptly :  "  Your  name  ? " 

"  Eiva,  sir." 

"Very  well,  Eiva,  climb  up  to  the  top,  and  help  the 
sailors  to  unfurl  the  brigantine." 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  99 

Without  a  word,  the  new  cabin  boy  sprang  into  the 
shrouds  and  was  soon  at  his  post. 

The  Jackson  now  made  ready  to  leave  port.  Part  of 
the  crew  hauled  in  the  tow-line,  while  the  rest  stood  in 
the  rigging,  ready  to  spread  the  sails  to  the  wind.  A 
small  tug  towed  the  vessel  beyond  the  pier,  where  it  left 
her.  Then,  at  a  signal  from  the  captain,  the  masts  were 
covered  with  canvas,  and  the  Jackson,  with  a  graceful 
courtesy,  glided  through  the  waves.  To  profit  by  the  nor'- 
nor'-wester,  which  blew  favorably,  the  studding  sails  were 
spread,  and  the  coast-line  faded  fast  in  the  dim  distance. 

Astride  a  boom,  Daniel,  hanging  between  sea  and  sky, 
waved  a  cheerful  farewell  to  the  shores  of  France.  The 
fresh  air,  the  excitement  of  working  the  ship,  and  the  charm 
of  novelty,  made  him  forget  his  cares.  At  last  he  was  off. 
Such  was  his  inmost  thought.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he 
was  leaving  all  his  troubles  behind  him  on  shore,  and 
that  thenceforth  life  would  flow  gently,  without  a  storm, 
beneath  a  cloudless  sky. 

However,  towards  evening  the  ship  momentarily  ap- 
proached the  French  coast,  and  Daniel's  heart  throbbed  with 
emotion  as  he  recognized  the  stern  outlines  of  Cape  Cerberus 
from  afar.  The  setting  sun  purpled  the  peaks  of  the  Pyre- 
nees, fishing-boats  were  returning  home,  and  the  sight  re- 
called to  him  the  beautiful  evening  which  proved  the  prelude 
to  all  his  misfortunes.  He  thought  of  his  father,  who  per- 
haps was  there,  close  at  hand,  in  one  of  those  very  boats ; 


100  CAPTAIN   GREEN. 

thought  of  his  good  mother  watching  at  home,  silently 
weeping  for  her  lost  son.  He  then  remembered  that  he 
had  never  written  to  them  since  he  left  home  ;  the  thought 
sent  a  hot  blush  to  his  cheeks,  and  tears  filled  his  eyes. 
Instantly,  carried  away  by  a  burst  of  repentance,  he  sprang 
upon  the  rail  and  threw  a  loving  kiss  in  the  direction  of 
home,  exclaiming :  "  I  love  you,  and  I  swear  that  I  will  be 
an,  honest  man." 

Although  the  Jackson  was  a  very  small  ship,  her  crew 
was  uncommonly  large.  Ten  or  twelve  men  could  easily 
work  a  brig  of  five  or  six  hundred  tons,  while  this  one  had 
sixty  stout  sailors,  not  counting  the  officers  and  two  cabin 
boys.  Daniel  was  much  astonished  to  find  so  large  a 
number  of  hands,  and  questioned  his  comrade  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  he  merely  replied  with  a  grin :  "  The  captain  likes 
to  have  plenty  of  men  about  him." 

He  might  with  equal  truth  have  said  that  the  captain  had 
striven  to  collect  a  specimen  of  every  race  on  earth  for  his 
ship.  Certainly,  the  builders  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  could 
scarcely  have  offered  a  stranger  assembly  than  the  crew  of 
the  Jackson.  The  captain  and  mate,  who  although  half 
French,  belonged  to  the  United  States,  and  the  cook,  an  old 
Virginia  negro,  considered  themselves  American  citizens, 
while  the  sailors  were  of  every  nationality.  English  pre- 
vailed, but  there  were  also  Swedes,  Spaniards,  Italians, 
French,  and  Dutch,  the  ship's  carpenter  even  representing 
the  Parisian  element.  In  a  walk  from  one  end  of  the  deck 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  101 

to  the  other,  one  might  hear  a  medley  of  every  conceiv- 
able language ;  not  even  Chinese  was  wanting,  for  Tchin- 
yan,  the  captain's  servant,  found  frequent  occasion  to  in- 
troduce the  dialect  of  the  Celestial  Empire.  Yet  we  must 
say  that,  different  as  were  their  dialects,  these  men  had  a 
strange  likeness  each  to  the  other.  Southerners  or  North- 
erners were  equally  rough  and  ready ;  their  features  were 
alike  marked  by  great  determination.  They  were  plainly 
sailors  to  the  finger-ends,  long  accustomed  to  hardship  and 
struggle  in  every  sea  and  in  every  climate.  In  a  word,  it 
was  a  picked  crew. 

As  the  ordinary  working  of  so  small  a  vessel  did  not  re- 
quire many  men,  the  majority  spent  their  time  in  playing 
cards  or  in  sleeping  on  deck.  Strict  discipline,  neverthe- 
less, reigned  on  board.  Twice  a  day  the  captain  reviewed 
the  crew,  as  is  done  on  men-of-war.  Captain  Green,  with 
all  his  appearance  of  unruffled  jollity,  was  not  the  man  to 
excuse  the  least  breach  of  orders,  and  Daniel  soon  noticed 
that  all  the  sailors  seemed  to  feel  a  mixture  of  enthusiastic 
admiration  and  profound  fear  for  this  singular  being. 

"  Why  did  the  captain  ship  so  many  hands  ? "  he  often 
wondered.  "  Does  it  really  take  sixty  men  to  carry  a  few 
bales  of  silk  and  cases  of  liquor  to  Mogador,  or  are  we  going 
to  so  dangerous  a  country  that  every  ship  requires  a  regi- 
ment for  its  defence  ? " 

These  thoughts  occasionally  disturbed  him;  but  he  was  so 
happy  on  board  and  the  captain  was  so  kind,  that,  turning 


102  CAPTAIN   GREEN. 

away  from  such  ideas,  he  was  content  to  enjoy  the  de- 
lights of  sailing  over  a  calm  blue  sea.  However,  a  myste- 
rious occurrence  soon  reawakened  his  suspicions. 

Six  days  after  they  sailed  from  Cette,  favored  by  excep- 
tional weather,  the  Jackson  entered  the  Straits  of  Gib- 
raltar under  crowded  sail  Before  long  the  huge  rock 
upon  which  the  English  have  planted  their  fortress,  the 
true  key  to  the  Mediterranean,  loomed  up  in  the  west. 

The  captain  paced  the  poop-deck,  followed  by  Daniel, 
who  carried  the  glass  with  which  the  officer  constantly 
scanned  the  Spanish  coast.  All  at  once  Captain  Green 
snatched  it  roughly  from  the  boy's  hands,  directed  it  to- 
wards Gibraltar,  then,  turning  towards  the  deck,  which  was 
covered  with  sailors,  he  shouted :  "  All  hands  below ! " 

At  these  words,  which  Daniel  did  not  understand,  there 
was  a  perfect  tumult  on  deck.  The  men  rose  hurriedly  and 
fled  to  the  forecastle  as  if  panic-stricken,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  ten  sailors,  who,  when  the  last  refugee  had  vanished, 
quickly  and  carefully  closed  the  hatch,  and  the  better 
to  conceal  the  opening,  covered  it  with  a  large  tarpaulin. 
That  done,  the  crew,  thus  diminished,  scattered  over  the 
deck  and  in  the  rigging,  as  if  nothing  out  of  the  common 
had  happened. 

The  cabin  boy,  surprised  at  this  unwonted  activity,  stood 
glass  in  hand,  by  the  captain,  who  said  with  a  smile: 
"Don't  be  alarmed,  youngster;  only  whatever  happens, 
keep  close  to  me,  and  not  a  word." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  103 

During  the  brief  space  required  for  the  transformation  of 
the  Jackson,  a  steamer  left  the  harbor,  and  ran  directly 
across  the  bows  of  the  brig,  which  was  soon  within  hail. 
The  steamer  hoisted  the  English  flag,  with  the  signal, 
"  Lay  to." 

Captain  Green  gave  the  order :  "  Hoist  the  colors ! " 
and  to  tlie  man  at  the  helm :  "  Straight  ahead ! "  As  the 
brig  continued  on  her  road,  the  man-of-war  fired  a 
blank  cartridge. 

"This  time  the  invitation  is  urgent,"  muttered  the 
Louisianian,  "  we  can 't  get  by  without  a  dose  " ;  and  turn- 
ing to  the  pilot  he  shouted  :  "  Hard  a-starboard !  "  then  to 
the  quartermaster,  "  Take  in  the  brigantine  ! "  The  orders 
were  rapidly  obeyed.  The  ship  came  about,  and  the  sails 
flapped  heavily  against  the  masts. 

Instantly  a  boat  was  put  off  from  the  man-of-war  and 
approached  the  Jackson.  A  ladder  was  let  down,  and  two 
officers  of  the  British  navy  came  on  board.  The  captain 
received  them  politely  at  the  port  gangway.  After  an  ex- 
change of  salutes,  one  of  the  officers  said :  "  Excuse  me, 
captain,  but  we  are  acting  in  accordance  witli  orders  sent 
us  from  the  admiralty.  Be  good  enough  to  show  us  your 
charter  party." 

"Here  are  my  charter  party  and  my  bills  of  lading," 
replied  Captain  Green,  handing  the  officer  a  bundle  of 
papers,  which  he  examined  carefully,  and  then  said :  — 

"  You  are  bound  for  Mogador  ?  " 


104  CAPTAIN  GREEN. 

"Yes,  sir,  with  a  half  cargo  of  liquors  and  stuffs." 

"  How  many  men  on  board  ? " 

"  Ten,  besides  my  two  officers  and  the  cabin  boys." 

With  a"  rapid  glance  around  him,  the  officer  assured  him- 
self that  the  number  stated  by  the  captain  was  correct. 
He  then  re-read  the  ship's  papers  and  said:  "You  are 
chartered  by  a  French  firm  ? " 

"  The  firm  of  Pratt  and  Co.,  of  Cette." 

"  Well,  captain,  before  I  leave  you,  I  must  warn  you  that 
your  errand  is  a  most  dangerous  one,  and  that  if  you  don't 
want  to  lose  your  ship,  you  had  better  discharge  your  goods 
or  change  your  colors  at  Gibraltar." 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  change  my  colors,"  said  Captain 
Green,  with  a  laugh,  "  but  I  am  in  haste  and  can't  wait. 
Besides,  what  danger  can  I  meet  with  between  here  and 
Mogador  ? " 

"The  Atlanta,  a  privateer  belonging  to  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  has  been  hovering  about  these  parts  for 
several  weeks.  A  mail-packet,  which  arrived  here  from 
Gibraltar  to-day,  reports  meeting  her  off  the  Canaries. 
Now  perhaps  you  do  not  know  that  this  pirate  vessel  haunts 
this  much-frequented  route  to  seize  all  ships  flying  the 
Northern  flag  as  you  do,  and  that  after  stripping  she  burns 
them." 

"  The  devil ! "  said  the  captain,  scratching  his  nose,  with  a 
puzzled  look,  "  that's  serious ;  but,"  he  went  on,  with  a 
proud  toss  of  the  head,  "  my  ship  is  a  fast  sailer.  It  will 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  105 

have  to  be  a  very  smart  fellow  that  catches  her.  I  will 
proceed  all  the  same,  with  your  permission." 

"  So  be  it.    You  are  warned.     Our  errand  is  done." 

The  two  English  officers  saluted  him  and  left  the  ship. 
As  their  boat  put  off,  the  captain  leaned  over  the  bulwarks 
and  shouted  after  them :  — 

"  Would  you  be  so  kind,  gentlemen,  as  to  give  me  the 
exact  point  at  which  the  Atlanta  was  last  seen  ? " 

"  To  the  soath  of  Fortaventura  Isle." 

"  A  thousand  thanks  !  "  replied  the  captain,  and  appar- 
ently very  much  pleased  with  the  information,  he  put 
the  glass  into  its  case,  with  a  smart  shove,  and,  turning  to 
the  mate,  said :  "  Order  the  helmsman  to  resume  his 
course." 

The  crew  did  not  venture  up  from  the  forecastle  for  a 
breath  of  fresh  air  and  to  continue  their  lazy  habits,  until 
the  vessel,  leaving  the  straits,  had  doubled  Cape  Spartel 
and  taken  a  southerly  course. 

Even  then  the  captain  ordered  the  officers  to  keep  a  strict 
lookout;  he  himself  studied  the  horizon  unceasingly  all 
day,  but  no  suspicious  sail  was  signalled.  The  wind  was 
favorable,  the  sea  was  calm. 

Then  how  did  it  happen  that  so  experienced  a  sailor  as 
Captain  Green,  the  commander  of  an  American  vessel  so 
well  known  at  New  Orleans,  made  such  a  stupid  mistake  ? 
Was  he  blinded  by  fears  of  meeting  the  terrible  Atlanta  ? 
Was  he  deceived  in  his  chart  by  an  apparent  similarity  of 


106  CAPTAIN  GREEN. 

names  ?  However  that  may  be,  the  fact  was  that  the 
Jackson  sailed  by  Mogador  without  noticing  it,  skirted  the 
African  coast  for  several  days,  and,  instead  of  entering  a 
friendly  port,  anchored  one  evening  below  Cape  Bojador,  in 
a  lonely  bay,  shut  in  by  the  shifting  plains  of  Sahara. 


"  The  captain  anxiously  swept  the  horizon." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE   SIGNAL   ON   CAPE   BOJADOR. 

IF  Daniel  was  surprised  to  see  the  Jackson  anchor  off  a 
desert  coast,  his  surprise  became  amazement  next  morning 
when  he  heard  the  captain  say  that  the  vessel  had  reached 
her  journey's  end.  However,  the  crew  seemed  perfectly 
satisfied.  Boats  were  launched,  stocked  with  provisions, 
and  the  men  went  off,  leaving  only  a  handful  of  sailors  to 
guard  the  ship.  Daniel  accompanied  Captain  Green,  who 
had  taken  him  into  his  personal  service. 

The  boats  crossed  the  shallow  bay  and  landed  on  a  hard 
sand  beach,  beyond  which  lay  a  line  of  low  hills.  Cape 
Bojador,  forming  one  horn  of  the  crescent,  stood  boldly 
out  to  sea  and  reared  its  bald,  barren  head  some  twenty 
yards  above  the  hills. 


108  THE   SIGNAL   ON   CAPE   BOJADOR. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  spot  more  desolate,  deserted, 
and  forlorn  than  this  part  of  the  African  coast,  where 
the  vast  ocean  bathes  with  its  blue  waves  the  yellowish 
billows  of  the  vast,  sandy  sea  of  Sahara,  in  a  vain  attempt 
to  impart  a  little  of  their  own  superabundant  vitality. 
On  the  very  shores  of  the  bay,  on  the  flanks  of  the  sand- 
hills, grow  thick  tufts  of  alf a,  —  a  precious  growth,  but  of 
an  evil  mien  with  its  long,  silver-gray  needles.  Directly 
beyond  the  shore-line,  all  vegetation  ceases.  As  far  as 
the  eye  can  see  to  the  eastward,  there  is  nothing  but  sand ; 
no  house,  no  human  being  is  visible. 

No  sooner  had  the  men  landed  than  they  set  to  work. 
While  some,  climbing  the  steep  sides  of  Cape  Bojador, 
quickly  pitched  a  couple  of  tents,  the  other  and  larger 
portion  scattered  over  the  sand-hills,  where,  armed  with 
their  sheath-knives,  they  vigorously  attacked  the  alfa 
grass.  Binding  it  into  sheaves,  they  heaped  them  at  the 
extreme  point  of  the  cape,  and  the  captain  lighted  this 
impromptu  bonfire  with  his  own  hand.  In  a  few  seconds 
the  crackling  flames  rose  upwards  and  a.  thick  column  of 
smoke  burst  forth,  the  white  plume  reaching  a  tremendous 
height,  as  there  was  not  the  slightest  air  stirring. 

While  the  sailors,  working  under  the  mate's  orders,  cut 
down  more  grass  to  keep  up  the  fire,  the  captain  anxiously 
swept  the  horizon  with  his  glass. 

What  could  all  this  mean  ?  Why  was  this  fire  kindled 
on  this  desert^shore  ?  If  they  were  trying  to  escape 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  109 

Confederate  cruisers,  was  there  no  danger  that  this  signal 
would  be  seen  by  them  ?  Daniel  knew  not  what  to  think ; 
his  face  betrayed  his  surprise  so  plainly  that  the  captain 
could  not  help  smiling. 

"  I  fear  we  shall  have  to  wait  some  time  longer,"  he 
muttered  as  he  shut  up  his  telescope ;  and  turning  to  Dan- 
iel, he  added :  "  Hark  ye,  my  boy,  it  is  high  time  that  you 
knew  why  we  are  here.  Much  as  I  wished  to  do  so,  it 
was  impossible  for  me  to  say  a  word  to  you  at  Cette  or 
even  during  the  voyage.  I  could  not  risk  injuring  our 
noble  cause  by  a  possible  indiscretion  on  your  part.  I 
took  you  on  board  partly  because  I  needed  you,  but  also 
because  I  saw  by  your  face  that  you  were  a  bold  lad  who 
would  not  object  to  a  few  strange  adventures.  Was  I 
right  ? " 

"  I  don't  think,  captain,  that  I  ever  showed  myself  a 
coward,  and  I  should  n't  be  a  sailor's  son  if  I  did  not  love 
a  roving  life.  But  —  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  what  you  would  say,"  rejoined  the  cap- 
tain ;  "  you  want  to  hear  a  few  more  particulars.  All  in  due 
time.  To  come  to  the  point :  you  have  probably  heard  of 
the  war  which  has  been  raging  in  North  America  for  two 
years  past  ? " 

"  In  a  vague  way,  captain.  But  I  remember  that  my 
father  sometimes  told  me  what  he  read  in  the  papers  about 
the  matter." 

"  Well,"  continued  Captain  Green,  "  the  Northern  por- 


110  THE   SIGNAL   ON   CAPE   BOJADOR. 

tiori  of  the  United  States  wanted  to  abolish  slavery  at  a 
stroke.  This  was  a  very  wise  idea,  and  I,  for  my  own 
part,  should  not  oppose  its  execution  to  a  reasonable  de- 
gree ;  but  if  carried  out  alt  at  once,  it  would  ruin  the 
Southern  States,  whose  rich  and  fertile  soil  could  only  be 
cultivated  by  negroes.  Louisiana,  my  own  State,  Georgia, 
Florida,  Virginia,  in  a  word,  the  whole  South,  rebelled 
against  the  arbitrary  action  of  the  Yankees.  The  latter 
then  excited  our  slaves  against  us ;  our  homes,  our  fields, 
were  pillaged  and  burned ;  our  wives  and  children  mur- 
dered. We  were  forced  to  take  up  arms  to  defend  our 
honor,  our  independence,  and  our  lives.  Unable  to  crush 
us  on  the  field  of  battle,  the  perfidious  Yankees  resolved 
to  destroy  our  commerce ;  they  blockaded  our  ports,  and 
stopped  all  our  ships.  Then  our  brave  president  called  to 
mind  the  valorous  deeds  of  France  when  blockaded  by 
the  English  and  Spanish.  He  remembered  that  her  cor- 
sairs, Jean  Bart,  Surcouf,  and  many,  many  others,  served 
their  country  well.  He  appealed  to  every  man  of  gene- 
rous heart,  and  launched  bold  rovers  upon  every  sea,  who, 
pursuing  the  Northern  merchantmen,  wounded  the  avari- 
cious Yankees  in  their  most  tender  point.  I  solicited  and 
obtained  the  honor  of  serving  my  country  in  this  way. 
Leaving  Eichmond  amid  a  thousand  dangers,  I  crossed  the 
blockade,  and  bought  a  fine,  swift  steamer  in  England.  I 
armed  and  equipped  her,  and  was  about  to  start  out ;  but 
the  English  police  were  watching  me,  and  I  was  arrested 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  Ill 

with  some  of  my  crew  just  as  I  was  sailing.  Luckily, 
my  ship,  in  charge  of  a  faithful  officer,  furnished  with 
instructions  from  me,  contrived  to  get  away  from  England. 
At  last,  after  many  petty  annoyances,  I  was  set  free. 
Followed  by  my  men,  I  managed  to  reach  France.  At 
Cette,  I  bought  this  little  brig  without  rousing  suspicion, 
and  came  here,  to  this  desolate  corner  of  Sahara,  where 
my  ship  will  soon  join  us." 

"  Then,  captain,"  interrupted  Daniel,  "  the  Jackson  —  " 

"  The  Jackson  goes  no  farther.  My  ship  is  that  Atlanta 
of  which  you  have  already  heard,  for  it  seems  that  my 
mate,  Mr.  Evans,  has  not  been  wasting  his  time.  I  shall 
reward  him  well.  So,  my  boy,  know  that  your  master  is 
captain,  and  you  are  cabin  boy,  of  the  Atlanta,  whether 
you  will  or  no.  Come,  is  n't  it  better  to  be  on  board  a  good 
man-of-war  than  to  play  the  part  of  scullion  on  a  trading 
vessel ? " 

"  It  is  rather  late  in  the  day  to  ask  me  now,"  was  the 
frank  reply ;  "  but  —  " 

"  No  buts,"  said  Captain  Green  sharply ;  "  if  you  're  not 
satisfied,  I  '11  put  you  on  shore  at  the  first  port,  that 's  all." 

"  That  is  not  what  I  was  going  to  say,  Captain.  I 
am  happy  to  serve  under  your  orders,  for  you  have  always 
been  kind  to  me ;  but  you  promised  to  take  me  to  Aus- 
tralia." 

"  Ah !  so  that 's  where  the  shoe  pinches,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, with  a  laugh.  "  Well,  we  will  go  to  Australia,  I  prom- 


112  THE   SIGNAL   ON   CAPE   BOJADOR. 

ise  you.  As  soon  as  we  have  swept  the  Atlantic  clean,  we 
will  take  a  look  at  the  Indian  Ocean  to  see  if  there  is  n't 
some  Yankee  bark  lurking  there  for  us  to  scuttle.  And 
now,  let 's  try  if  the  Atlanta  is  n't  in  sight.  Not  that  I 
blame  Mr.  Evans  for  the  delay,  for  you  can  understand 
that  I  "could  not  make  an  appointment  to  the  minute." 

An  hour  later  Daniel  had  made  up  his  mind  to  accept 
what  he  had  at  first  called  kidnapping.  He  was  now  as 
impatient  as  the  rest  of  the  crew  for  the  arrival  of  the 
famous  Atlanta. 

All  day-  long  the  bonfire,  fed  by  the  sailors,  threw  up  its 
cloud  of  smoke,  which  changed  at  nightfall  to  a  pillar  of 
burning  flame.  Placed  thus  upon  an  eminence,  the  bril- 
liant signal  -must  have  been  visible  across  the  Sahara  as 
well  as  far  out  at  sea.  So,  if  it  escaped  the  lookout  on  the 
Atlanta,  it  might  attract  the  attention  of  the  wandering 
tribes  of  the  desert. 

This  part  of  the  Sahara  is  inhabited,  or  rather  traversed, 
by  Moorish  tribes,  roving  between  Morocco  and  Senegal 
with  their  scanty  flocks.  To  these  miserable  Moors,  fan- 
atic and  cruel  as  they  are,  any  vessel  cast  upon  the  coast  by 
a  storm  is  a  tempting  prey.  At  the  first  sign  of  a  wreck, 
these  wretches  fall  upon  the  luckless  castaways,  strip  them, 
and  leave  them  to  die  of  hunger  and  thirst  on  the  burning 
sands,  or  else  they  carry  them  off  into  slavery,  and  sell 
them  in  the  market-places  of  Timbuctoo  or  Adrar. 

Therefore,  the  column  of  fire  being  seen  by  a  horseman 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  113 

of  the  tribe  of  Ouled-bon-Seba,  he  hastened  to  notify  one 
of  the  parties  encamped  a  few  miles  away  from  the  cape. 
The  Moors,  foreseeing  a  shipwreck,  rushed  in  a  body  to 
the  coast. 

Captain  Green  had  spent  the  night  on  the  lookout  with 
his  men.  Although  not  fearing  any  attack  from  the  land, 
he  posted  armed  sentinels  on  the  outskirts  of  his  camp. 

The  first  peep  of  dawn  revealed  to  one  of  these  guards  a 
number  of  human  forms  prowling  about  the  beach  and 
cape.  The  man  ran  to  inform  the  captain,  who  had 
scarcely  left  his  tent  when  he  saw  that  a  large  party  of 
Moors  had  established  themselves  on  the  edge  of  the  bay. 
The  boats  had  put  off  to  the  Jackson  on  the  approach  of 
these  marauders,  thus  cutting  off  all  chance  of  escape  for  the 
men  on  shore. 

At  the  first  glance,  Captain  Green  grasped  the  really 
critical  situation  in  which  he  was  placed.  His  sailors 
speedily  rallied  round  him,  ready  for  a  fight ;  but  it  was 
evident  that  the  scanty  band  would  have  tough  work  to 
cut  a  path  through  the  Moors,  who  were  far  more  numerous 
and  were  all  armed  with  guns.  On  the  other  hand,  these 
latter  seemed  somewhat  surprised ;  having  hastened  thither 
to  rob  a  disabled  ship,  they  gazed  with  amazement  at  the 
Jackson  riding  at  anchor  in  the  bay,  and  the  crew  undoubt- 
edly struck  them  as  much  more  formidable  than  the 
handful  of  dejected  castaways  whom  they  had  expected 
to  find. 

8 


114  THE   SIGNAL  ON  CAPE   BOJADOK. 

Hesitating  thus  on  both  sides,  the  two  parties  consulted 
together.  Captain  Green  was  first  to  come  to  a  decision. 
Arranging  his  men  in  line  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  he 
ordered  them  to  stand  ready  to  protect  him,  while  he  ad- 
vanced to  parley  with  the  natives.  Accompanied  only  by 
Daniel,  he  walked  towards  the  enemy,  waving  a  white 
handkerchief. 

His  approach  seemed  to  excite  a  lively  emotion  among 
the  Moors.  They  uttered  loud  cries  and  curses,  proving 
that  they  were  not  agreed  as  to  the  reception  to  be  given 
to  the  captain.  Finally  the  peace  party  carried  the  day, 
for  two  men  stepped  out  of  the  crowd  and  advanced  to 
meet  him. 

One  of  them  was  an  old  fellow,  with  a  long  white  beard, 
finely  chiselled  features,  and  venerable  air,  but,  like  all  the 
Moors,  sly  and  hypocritical  in  expression.  He  was 
wrapped  in  an  immense  white  burnous,^fastened  round 
his  neck  by  a  rope  of  twisted  camel's  hair,  and  display- 
ing a  pair  of  loose  red  Zouave  trousers  beneath  its  ample 
folds. 

His  companion,  a  blubber-lipped  Berber,  almost  a  negro, 
was  an  active  young  man,  whose  eyes  rolled  fiercely 
in  his  head.  Covered  with  rags,  he  leaned  haughtily 
on  a  long,  damascened  gun.  They  were,  undoubtedly, 
two  important  personages?  two  chiefs  of  the  Ouled-bon- 
Se'ba. 

Approaching  the  captain,  the  old  man  saluted  him  nia- 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  115 

jestically  with  the  Arab  greeting:  " Salam  allekoum!" 
adding  in  the  purest  French,  "  Are  you  French  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  captain  unhesitatingly. 

"  I  have  been  at  Algiers,"  continued  the  Moor,  "  and  I 
know  the  French.  I  am  Ali-ben-Mansuur,  sheik  of  the 
Ouled-bon-Se'ba.  Why  are  you  in  our  territory  ? " 

"  What  is  that  to  you  ? "  replied  the  captain.  "  We 
came  yesterday  and  shall  probably  leave  to-morrow ;  our 
presence  cannot  annoy  you  to  any  great  extent.  If  you 
know  the  French,  you  must  know  that  they  are  the  friends 
of  the  Arabs,  but  that  they  will  not  put  up  with  tyranny. 
Tell  your  men  who  we  are  and  order  them  to  retire." 

"  I  cannot,"  replied  the  sheik.  "  By  an  old  law  of  the 
land,  every  ship  which  touches  here  becomes  the  property 
of  the  Ouled  -bon-Seba.  Your  ship  is  ours :  if  you  wish  to 
keep  it  you  must  pay  a  ransom." 

The  captain  was  about  to  answer  this  impudent  proposi- 
tion as  it  deserved ;  but  a  sudden  thought  cut  short  his 
half -uttered  sentence,  and  he  added :  "  In  all  my  voyages 
I  have  respected  the  laws  of  whatever  country  I  might 
chance  to  visit.  I  am  therefore  ready  to  comply  with 
your  demands.  I  have  no  further  use  for  the  ship  which 
you  see  lying  yonder,  for  I  expect  another  to  join  me  at 
this  very  spot.  I  accordingly  agree  to  surrender  my  ship 
to  your  men,  but  on  condition  that  you  first  permit  us  to 
take  away  all  necessary  supplies." 

"  I  will  communicate  your  offer  to  my  comrade,  Bou- 


116  THE    SIGNAL   ON    CAPE    BOJADOK. 

Sliman,  Aga  of  Each."  And  the  old  man  translated  the 
captain's  remarks  into  Arabic. 

"  The  man  is  a  coward,"  said  the  aga. 

"  Or  perhaps  a  traitor,"  replied  the  sheik ;  "  but  leave  him 
to  me.  Does  not  the  Prophet  say,  'The  believer's  folly 
has  more  wisdom  in  it  than  the  infidel's  discretion  '  ? "  and 
turning  to  the  officer  he  said  :  "  Bou -Sliman  accepts.  Re- 
turn to  your  men.  We  will  make  way  for  you  to  pass, 
having  faith  in  the  promise  that  you  have  given  us." 

Captain  Green  and  the  cabin  boy  returned  to  their  camp. 
The  former  saw  that  he  must  profit  by  the  friendly  feeling 
of  the  Moors,  and  take  refuge  on  the  Jackson,  where  they 
could  more  securely  await  the  Atlanta's  arrival.  He  there- 
fore collected  his  men,  recommended  the  utmost  prudence, 
and  forbade  them  to  use  their  knives  unless  it  came  to  the 
last  extreme.  A  few  additional  handfuls  of  alfa  grass  were 
thrown  upon  the  bonfire,  which  blazed  up  with  renewed 
vigor ;  and  then  the  little  party,  leaving  their  camp,  took 
the  path  to  the  beach. 

At  their  approach  the  Moors  moved  away,  and  stood  in 
solid  phalanx  at  the  foot  of  the  sand-hills.  They  uttered 
wild  yells,  a  sort  of  savage  battle-cry,  as  the  procession 
filed  by  them  ;  but  not  a  gun  was  lifted,  or  other  token  of 
hostility  given. 

The  captain,  reassured  by  this  condition  of  things,  hailed 
the  boats,  which,  putting  off  from  the  Jackson,  made  for 
the  shore.  They  were  close  at  hand,  the  sailors  broke 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  117 

their  ranks  preparatory  to  embarking,  when  a  terrible 
volley  of  shot  from  the  Moors  cast  confusion  among  them, 
wounding  and  killing  several  of  their  number.  In  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  little  band  was  surrounded  by  the 
savage  horde,  and  a  frightful  conflict  followed.  The  sailors, 
drawing  their  long  knives,  fought  hand  to  hand  with  the 
Moors,  while  Captain  Green,  a  revolver  in  each  hand, 
cleared  a  space  around  him. 

In  spite  of  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy, 
the  sailors  had  the  advantage ;  the  Moors  were  already 
quitting  the  field,  when  the  swarthy  Bou-Sliman,  covered 
with  blood,  rushed  towards  Daniel,  and  seizing  him  in  his 
strong  arms,  lifted  him  from  the  ground  and  ran  off  with 
him.  But  Penguin  heard  his  cries;-  and,  nothing  heed- 
ing, armed  only  .with  his  sheath-knife,  he  flew  after  the 
Moor  and  plunged  his  weapon  into  his  back.  The  giant 
dropped  his  victim  and  rolled  to  the  ground,  while  the 
young  Canadian,  helping  Daniel,  still  dizzy  with  sur- 
prise, to  rise  to  his  feet,  led  him  back  to  the  ranks  of  his 
friends. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  loud  report  shook  the  loose 
soil  of  the  foot-hills.  A  superb  steamer  entered  the 
bay,  and  boats  loaded  with  men  put  hastily  off  for  the 
shore. 

At  the  sight  of  this  unexpected  reinforcement,  the  Moors 
took  flight,  and  vanished  behind  the  sand-hills. 

"  Friends,  it  is  the  Atlanta ! "  cried  Captain  Green. 


118         THE  SIGNAL  ON  CAPE  BOJADOR. 

"  Three  cheers  for  the  Atlanta ! "  was  the  simultaneous 
shout  of  the  sailors. 

The  first  boat  reached  the  shore.  An  officer  leaped  out 
and  ran  towards  the  captain  of  the  Jackson,  who,  offering 
him  his  hand,  said  simply :  "  You  are  punctual,  Mr. 
Evans." 


f 


"The  Atlanta." 


CHAPTER   X. 

PENGUIN. 

THAT  same  day  the  Jackson,  stripped  of  everything  of 
any  value,  was  given  to  the  flames,  and  Captain  Green,  with 
his  faithful  crew,  took  possession  of  the  Atlanta,  which 
steamed  rapidly  away  from  those  inhospitable  shores. 

It  was  the  first  time  in  his  life  that  Daniel  had  ever  set 
foot  on  a  man-of-war  ;  he  was  therefore  greatly  amazed  at 
the  stately  aspect  of  the  cruiser. 

The  Atlanta  was  a  magnificent  iron  steamer  of  more 
than  three  thousand  tons.  A  powerful  screw  gave  her  a 
speed  of  fifteen  knots  an  hour  ;  the  tall,  clipper-rigged  masts 


120  PENGUIN. 

could  carry  her  at  an  equally  rapid  rate  if  her  coal  gave 
out  or  any  accident  happened  to  the  engine.  One  look  at 
her  long,  slender  hull  and  her  bare,  straight-sheered  deck, 
was  enough  to  prove  that  her  constructor's  only  thought 
was  to  give  her  a  rate  of  speed  superior  to  that  of  any  or- 
dinary inan-of-war  or  merchantman.  With  all  steam  on, 
and  her  heavy  spread  of  canvas  filled  by  a  favoring  wind, 
the  Atlanta  literally  flew  over  the  water  like  some  superb 
bird  of  prey. 

If  the  bird  had  wings,  it  had  beak  and  claws  as  well 
Two  fine  howitzers  planted  on  deck,  one  at  the  bow,  the 
other  at  the  stern,  enabled  her  to  strike  the  flying  foe  or  to 
arrest  pursuit,  while  twelve  cannon,  concealed  between 
decks,  when  it  came  to  a  fight  revealed  their  brazen  jaws, 
hidden  in  ordinary  times  by  the  closed  ports. 

The  interior  of  the  ship  was  arranged  with  the  utmost 
care.  The  hold  contained  spacious  magazines,  in  which 
ammunition,  coal,  water,  and  copious  supplies  of  food  were 
stored ;  other  compartments,  still  empty,  were  reserved  for 
the  booty  to  be  taken  from  the  enemy.  The  engine,  with 
its  vast  motors  and  huge  boilers,  occupied  the  centre  of  the 
hull  Between  the  hold  and  the  deck  was  the  great  "  be- 
tween-decks,"  containing  the  quarters  of  the  crew  forward, 
the  guns  and  cockpit  in  the  centre ;  and  in  the  stern  the 
state-rooms  of  the  officers  and  the  captain's  cabin,  fitted  up 
with  extreme  luxury  and  taste. 

Daniel  and  Penguin  were  established  in  cosy  quarters, 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  121 

provided  with  two  good  berths,  in  the  stern,  near  the  ward- 
room. The  two  boys  thus  enjoyed  the  privilege  conferred 
on  them  by  the  captain  when  he  attached  them  to  the 
private  service  of  the  ship's  officers,  for  the  other  cabin 
boys  were  sent  forward  with  the  sailors. 

Admirable  cleanliness  and  order  prevailed  in  every  part 
of  the  vessel,  and,  as  Penguin  admiringly  said,  you  could 
eat  your  dinner  off  the  Atlanta's  deck  with  as  much  pleas- 
ure as  if  it  were  the  finest  table  in  the  world. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  keep  in  bounds  a  body  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  comprising  adventurers  of  every 
nationality.  To  see  Captain  Green,  with  his  red  face  and 
jolly  smile,  pacing  the  deck  of  his  ship  with  a  slow  and 
heavy  tread,  one  would  have  imagined  him  the  very  last 
man  to  be  entrusted  with  so  arduous  a  task.  But  beneath 
his  rather  vulgar  exterior,  the  captain  had  an  upright,  gen- 
erous soul,  a  cultured  mind,  and  iron  will.  If  his  noisy 
mirth  enlivened  his  men,  he  could  quiet  them  with  a 
word,  or,  if  necessary,  with  a  gesture.  One  day,  a  German 
sailor  giving  him  a  rough  answer,  the  brave  captain  took 
him  by  the  belt  with  one  hand  and  tossed  him  contemptu- 
ously to  the  other  end  of -the  deck. 

There  was  plenty  of  hard  work  on  board  the  Atlanta. 
Besides  the  scrupulous  neatness  required,  and  the  necessary 
working  of  the  ship,  the  captain  insisted  upon  gun-drills 
and  constant  boat-exeroises.  Assisted  by  Evans,  and  Nich- 
ols, the  mate  of  the  Jackson,  Captain  Green  labored  inces- 


122  PENGUIN. 

santly  to  perfect  his  crew.  With  this  object  in  view, 
lie  steered  the  Atlanta  in  a  southerly  direction,  unwilling 
to  begin  action  until  he  was  sure  of  his  ship  and  his 
men. 

Daniel,  who  was  daily  more  gratified  by  the  captain's 
kindness,  felt  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  sail  under  such  a 
leader,  forgetting  all  his  schemes  for  making  a  fortune, 
lie  gave  himself  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  this  active  life, 
beneath  a  fair  sky,  upon  one  of  the  smoothest  seas  on 
earth. 

After  a  imsy  day,  he  spent  a  happy  evening  with  his 
friend  Penguin.  Since  the  latter  had  rescued  him  from 
death,  Daniel's  budding  friendship  had  turned  to  deep  love. 
He  considered  the  amiable,  modest  Canadian  as  the  model 
of  every  virtue.  He  opened  his  heart  to  him,  confiding 
all  his  sorrows  and  his  past  faults  to  him ;  but  he  was 
silent  concerning  his  discovery  of  Bastien  Moreau's 
secret,  although  the  plan  of  the  mine  never  left  his 
pocket. 

At  night,  when  the  crew,  resting  from  the  day's  labors, 
gathered  together  in  the  bows  to  sing  or  play  cards,  the 
two  boys  nestled  in  some  dark  corner,  behind  a  heap  of 
ropes,  and  exchanged  confidences. 

"  You  are  very  lucky,"  said  Penguin  to  Daniel  one  day, 
when  the  latter  was  talking  of  the  kind  parents  whom  he 
had  left  behind  in  Castel.  "  When  you  go  back  to  them, 
they  will  forgive  all  your  faults,  while  I  am  utterly  alone 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  123 

in  the  world.  I  have  no  family  but  the  crew  of  the 
Atlanta.  I  have  nothing  to  tie  me  to  life  except  our  cap- 
tain, whom  I  love  with  my  whole  heart." 

"  And  I,"  said  Daniel  reproachfully.  "  Am  I  not  your 
friend?" 

"  Yes,  but  we  shall  have  to  part  before  long.  You  are 
only  here  by  accident,  and  at  the  first  opportunity  to 
carry  out  your  plans  for  the  future,  you  will  be  off." 

"  You  shall  go  with  me,  and  we  will  make  our  fortunes 
together." 

"  Impossible,"  replied  the  young  Canadian.  "  t  owe  every- 
thing to  the  captain,  and  1  shall  never  leave  him  so  long 
as  I  can  be  of  any  use  to  him ;  and  then  I  fear  I  should 
sadly  miss  his  loud  voice,  promising  me  the  cat-o'-nine- 
tails, while  his  hand  never  gave  me  anything  but  caresses. 
He  is  not  like  Mr.  Nichols,  who  says  little  but  strikes 
hard." 

"  Then  you  have  no  relations  in  Canada  ? "  asked  Daniel. 

"  Not  that  I  know  of.     My  father,  Denis  Laverton,  — 
for  you  must  have  guessed  that  Penguin  was  not  my  real 
name ;   it  is  a  nickname,  to  which  I  am  so  accustomed 
that  it  seems  quite  natural  to  me.     My  real  name  is  Mar- 
tial." 

"  Martial,  —  that  is  a  nice  name,"  said  Daniel.  "  I  shall 
always  call  you  Martial ;  I  like  it  much  better  than  Pen- 
guin." 

"  As  you  like.  .  I  was  going  to  tell  you  that  my  father, 


124  PENGUIN. 

Denis  Laverton,  was  a  voyager  in  the  service  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  '  a  voyager '  ? " 

"  That  is  the  Canadian  name  for  the  agents  whom  the 
Company  sends  out  among  the  Indian  tribes  of  its  vast 
territory,  to  collect  furs  and  skins.  My  father  married  at 
Quebec.  My  mother,  unable  to  endure  the  severe  climate 
of  the  North,  lived  there  with  me,  their  only  child.  I  was 
eight  years  old  when  she  died,  and  I  was  left  for  some 
time  dependent  on  the  charity  of  neighbors,  who  took  me 
in.  On  his  return  from  one  of  his  long  journeys,  my 
father  found  himself  a  widower,  with  a  son  to  support.  As 
he  had  neither  fortune  nor  family,  he  scarcely  knew  what 
to  do  with  me ;  but,  in  spite  of  my  delicate  looks,  I  was 
strong  and  full  of  courage.  I  therefore  begged  him  not 
to  leave  me  in  Quebec  but  to  take  me  with  him.  He. 
finally  yielded  to  my  prayers,  and  we  soon  started  out. 
The  Company  had  recently  made  him  voyager  to  Fort 
Enterprise,  one  of  the  most  northerly  posts,  near  Great 
Slave  Lake. 

"  We  had  to  travel  two  whole  months  before  we  reached 
the  fort.  I,  who  had  spent  my  childhood  on  the  green, 
fertile  shores  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  felt  a  bitter  pang  when 
we  reached  our  journey's  end,  after  crossing  the  vast  desert 
plains  of  the  northwest.  The  fort  was  composed  simply  of 
three  or  four  wooden  huts,  with  a  few  stores  for  the  furs,  all 
surrounded  by  a  high  palisade  made  of  pine-tree  trunks. 


THE   TWO  CABIN   BOYS.  125 

So  far,  it  resembled  all  the  others  which  we  had  passed  on 
our  way,  but  the  surrounding  country  made  it  seem  the 
most  horrible  spot  on  earth. 

"  You  saw  the  Desert  of  Sahara  the  other  day  ?  Well, 
Cape  Bojador,  with  its  glaring  sand-hills  and  bright  blue 
sea,  is  a  paradise  compared  to  the  country  in  which  I  was 
condemned  to  live.  Imagine  a  vast  plain,  frightful  in  its 
monotony,  thinly  sprinkled  with  dwarf  pines  and  scrubby 
birches,  stretching  between  two  great  bodies  of  water, 
Great  Bear  Lake  to  the  north,  and  Great  Slave  Lake 
to  the  south.  For  a  few  weeks  the  sun  warmed  the 
plain,  and  life  seemed  barely  possible  ;  but  from  the  month 
of  August  the  snow  spread  its  white  shroud  over  all,  and 
it  never  melted  before  May,  and  sometimes  not  until 
June. 

"The  only  inhabitants  of  the  fort  were  two  of  the 
Company's  agents  with  their  families,  making  in  all  eleven 
persons.  We  were  frequently  visited  by  Indians,  if  I  may 
give  that  name  to  the  miserable  Esquimaux  who  frequent 
those  frozen  regions ;  but  during  the  three  hardest  months 
of  the  winter  we  were  shut  up  in  our  houses,  cut  off  from 
all  communication  with  the  rest  of  the  world." 

"  Oh,  how  frightful ! "  exclaimed  Daniel. 

"  Yes,  indeed  it  was,"  continued  Penguin,  with  a  sigh ; 
"  and  yet  the  three  years  which  I  spent  in  those  icy  wastes 
still  seem  to  me  the  most  beautiful  of  niy  life.  I  soon 
grew  used  to  the  rough  way  of  living.  My  father,  who 


126  PENGUIN. 

was  a  skilful  hunter,  took  me  with  him  on  his  expeditions 
through  the  woods,  and  taught  me  to  set  traps,  to  track 
animals  by  their  footprints,  and  to  know  the  different 
species.  We  visited  the  Esquimau  camps  up  as  far  as 
the  Great  Copper-Mine  River,  which  rises  in  the  Polar  Sea. 
After  a  time  I  became  intimate  with  the  children  of  the 
two  agents,  and  when  I  returned  to  the  fort,  I  felt  as  if  I 
were  coming  home.  Yes,  I  was  happy,  very  happy. 

"  This  happiness  was  of  brief  duration.  One  day  an 
Indian  messenger  brought  my  father  a  letter  from  one  of 
the  directors,  informing  him  that  they  had  given  him  the 
command  of  Fort  Selkirk  on  the  Yukon  River.  This  was  an 
unexpected  advancement  for  iny  father ;  but  still  I  saw 
that  he  regretted  leaving  his  old  mates.  His  mission  was, 
moreover,  a  very  delicate  one,  requiring  much  tact.  Fort 
Selkirk  had  been  built  a  few  years  before,  near  the  boun- 
daries of  Alaska,  and  then  abandoned.  The  Company  now 
wished  to  reoccupy  it,  in  order  to  confirm  their  possession 
of  this  territory,  which  a  Russian  society  of  fur-seekers 
disputed  with  them.  My  father's  instructions  were  to 
proceed  first  to  Fort  Halkett,  lying  to  the  south  of  Great 
Slave  Lake. 

"  It  was  then  April,  but  it  would  take  us  at  least  five 
months  to  reach  Fort  Selkirk.  We  had  no  tune  to  lose, 
and  we  set  out  immediately  on  receipt  of  our  orders.  We 
reached  the  Mackenzie  River,  and  went  up  the  valley  of 
the  Penny  River,  so  called  by  the  old  voyagers  because 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  127 

its  bed  is  covered  with  little,  round,  shiny  pebbles,  like 
coins. 

"  It 's  a  hard  task,  I  can  tell  you,  for  a  boy  of  eleven  to 
travel  on  foot,  for  months,  in  so  rugged  a  region.  Occa- 
sionally we  came  across  an  Indian  settlement  where  we 
spent  the  night ;  but  more  often  we  had  to  content  our- 
selves with  a  bed  on  the  ground  before  a  large  fire  of  pine- 
branches. 

"  However,  we  were  both  in  good  health,  though  greatly 
fatigued,  when  we  reached  Fort  Halkett,  picturesquely 
situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Penny  Eiver,  at  the  foot  of  a 
chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

"  There  we  remained  a  month,  not  to  rest,  but  to  wait 
for  the  sledges  and  dogs  needed  to  carry  all  the  supplies 
required  for  our  establishment.  This  delay  was  the  cause 
of  all  the  misfortunes  which  befell  us." 

"  What  could  you  do  with  dogs  ?  "  asked  Daniel. 

"  The  dog,"  replied  Penguin,  "  is  a  most  necessary  animal 
in  those  countries.  The  cold  being  too  intense  for  oxen  or 
horses,  the  sledges,  which  take  the  place  of  wagons,  are 
entirely  drawn  by  dogs ;  and  I  assure  you  that  the  poor 
beasts  do  their  work  well,  running  rapidly  over  the  frozen 
ground. 

"At  last,  all  was  ready,  and  we  left  Fort  Halkett. 
Besides  my  father  and  myself,  our  expedition  included  two 
half-breeds  and  a  dozen  Indians.  As  we  advanced  west- 
ward, the  country  became  suddenly  gloomy,  and  the  roads 


128  PENGUIN. 

almost  impassable.  Mountains  barred  our  way,  and  we 
found  it  difficult  to  cross  them  with  our  dogs  and  sledges. 
October  arrived,  and  with  it  regular  winter  weather,  with 
snow  storms  and  icy  squalls.  Still  we  were  very  far  from 
Fort  Selkirk.  My  father,  in  spite  of  his  long  experience 
of  this  region,  began  to  feel  uneasy. 

"One  night  we  encamped  in  a  narrow  valley  after  a 
painful  march.  The  dogs  could  go  no  farther.  We  tried 
to  kindle  a  fire;  the  wind  prevented  us.  At  last  we 
wrapped  ourselves  in  our  furs,  and  lay  down  on  the  snow 
to  sleep.  Towards  midnight  I  was  roused  by  a  violent 
shake,  but  I  was  so  benumbed  with  cold  that  I  could 
hardly  move.  It  was  my  father,  who,  awakened  by  the 
storm,  had  dragged  me  forth  from  the  snow  which  com- 
pletely covered  me.  He  took  me  in  his  arms  and  carried 
me  to  some  high  rocks  which  overlooked  our  halting-place. 
A  whirlwind  of  snow  swept  madly  through  the  valley" 
In  vain  we  shouted  to  our  companions :  there  was  no  an- 
swer; and  in  the  morning,  when  day  dawned,  we  saw 
nothing  before  us  but  a  vast  field  of  snow.  The  poor 
wretches,  surprised  in  their  sleep,  rested  forever  beneath 
this  cold  shroud. 

"  Nor  was  our  fate  much  better.  What  was  to  become  of 
us,  alone  in  this  awful  desert  ?  Our  terrified  dogs  had  fled 
or  were  swallowed  up  by  the  tempest.  Digging  down  into 
the  snow,  we  recovered  one  sledge,  and  loading  ourselves 
with  provisions,  we  left  this  valley  of  death. 


'  Continue  to  travel  towards  the  southwest.    You  will  reach  the  sea  and  be 
saved."  —  Page  131. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  131 

"We  could  no  longer  hope  to  reach  Fort  Selkirk;  to 
return  to  Fort  Halkett  was  equally  impossible.  My  father 
recollected  that  another  of  the  Company's  posts,  Fort  Mum- 
ford,  lay  towards  the  southwest,  and  we  turned  our  steps 
in  that  direction. 

"  Alas !  after  travelling  for  a  fortnight,  our  provisions 
gave  out,  and  the  fort  was  still  remote,  for  all  we  knew. 
My  father,  though  stronger  than  I,  was  exhausted.  He 
walked  with  great  difficulty,  and  we  advanced  but  slowly. 
I  have  always  suspected  that  my  dear  father  deprived 
himself  of  food,  to  feed  me.  For  several  days  our  sole  box 
of  biscuits  diminished  very  gradually. 

"  At  last,  one  night,  when  darkness  compelled  us  to  rest, 
my  father  said  :  — 

"  '  I  feel,  my  poor  Martial,  that  I  shall  not  last  much 
longer.  My  strength  is  exhausted  and  I  am  overcome 
by  cold.  I  am  dying.  Continue  to  travel  towards  the 
southwest.  You  will  reach  the  sea,  and  you  will  be  saved, 
for  the  Indians  have  numerous  settlements  on  the  sea- 
shore.' 

"  In  vain  I  strove  to  encourage  and  reanimate  him.  As 
he  said,  he  could  struggle  no  longer  with  the  cold,  and 
before  day  dawned  I  pressed  to  my  heart  naught  but  a 
frozen  corpse.  I  could  not  bear  to  leave  my  dear  father, 
but  was  forced  to  bury  him  in  the  snow  and  to  resume  my 
journey. 

"  Three  days  after,  dragging  myself  painfully  along,  I 


132  PENGUIN. 

came  suddenly  upon  an  Indian  encampment.  The  poor 
natives  received  me  hospitably  and  treated  me  with  the 
greatest  kindness.  I  spent  the  rest  of  the  winter  with 
them,  and  the  following  spring  I  went  to  Vancouver,  the 
capital  of  British  Columbia. 

"  The  Columbians  were  less  charitable  to  me  than  the 
Indians.  Wandering  along  the  streets  of  that  English 
city,  I  was  literally  perishing  of  hunger,  repulsed  and 
rejected  everywhere,  when  one  day  a  sea-captain  whom  I 
had  followed,  begging  him  to  help  me,  turned  upon  me, 
saying :  — 

" '  A  rascal  of  your  size  ought  not  to  be  begging.' 

"  '  I  am  hungry,  sir,'  I  replied. 

" '  If  you  are  hungry,  why  don't  you  work  ? ' 

" '  I  should  be  glad  to  work,  but  I  'm  hungry.' 

"  My  tone  and  looks  must  have  been  pitiful,  for  the 
captain,  without  a  word,  took  my  hand  and  led  me  along. 
As  he  walked  quickly  and  I  was  very  weak,  I  could 
scarcely  keep  pace  with  him.  At  last  my  strength  failed 
me  and  I  came  to  a  standstill.  Then  the  brave  fellow, 
without  an  instant's  hesitation,  took  me  in  his  arms 
and  carried  me.  I  was  soon  on  board  his  ship,  where  I 
was  nursed  back  to  health.  The  captain  engaged  me  as 
cabin  boy,  and  as  I  still  wore  my  close-fitting  trapper's 
dress,  made  of  furs,  the  sailors  gave  me  the  name  of 
Penguin." 

"  Who  was  this  captain  ?  "  said  Daniel. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  133 

"  Did  n't  I  tell  you  ?  It  was  Captain  Green.  You  may 
fancy  how  I  love  him.  I  have  never  left  him  since." 

"  Well,  I  loved  him  before,"  said  the  French  boy,  "  but 
after  what  you  have  told  me,  poor  Penguin,  —  no,  I  mean, 
dear  Martial,  —  I  shall  love  him  just  twice  as  much. " 


"Confusion  ran  riot." 


CHAPTER   XL 

CAPTURE   OF  THE   BLUE   BOY. 

AFTER  several  days  of  hard  drill,  which  put  the  men  in 
good  condition,  the  captain,  now  sure  of  his  crew,  ordered 
the  ship  to  be  headed  to  the  north.  The  Atlanta,  taking 
her  course,  cruised  about  the  thirty-sixth  parallel,  between 
the  Azores  and  the  Canaries.  These  two  groups  of  islands 
form  the  boundaries  of  the  great  water-road  connecting 
Europe  with  southern  countries.  All  ships  trading  with 
South  America,  southern  Africa,  or  any  city  in  the 
extreme  east,  are  obliged  to  take  this  course  both  in  com- 
ing and  going.  Therefore  the  privateer  had  chosen  her 
position  very  wisely.  Lying  in  wait  on  this  great  interna- 
tional thoroughfare,  she  watched  for  her  prey. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  135 

The  very  number  of  ships  plowing  these  seas  made  the 
cruiser's  labors  most  arduous.  No  sooner  was  a  sail  sig- 
nalled on  the  horizon  than  the  Atlanta,  her  steam  being 
always  up,  hurried  towards  the  merchantman ;  then,  on 
coming  in  range  of  her,  the  captain  hoisted  his  flag.  Ac- 
cording to  maritime  etiquette,  the  trader  instantly  replied 
by  showing  his  colors,  which  were  invariably  those  of 
England,  France,  or  some  other  neutral  nation.  The 
Atlanta's  politeness  was  wasted,  and  she  was  forced  to 
continue  on  her  way  for  a  brief  time  like  any  peaceful 
steamer,  safe  to  turn  about  and  swoop  down  upon  another 
vessel  with  all  speed. 

For  a  month  the  corsair  ploughed  the  sea  without  meet- 
ing a  single  United  States  ship.  The  coal  was  almost  out, 
and  must  soon  be  renewed  at  Las  Palmas,  a  port  of  the 
Canaries. 

The  crew  began  to  grumble,  not  loudly  indeed,  for  the 
greatest  malcontents  feared  the  captain  too  much  to  com- 
plain before  his  face.  Captain  Green  himself  did  not  dis- 
guise his  disgust. 

"  It  is  incomprehensible,"  he  said  to  his  mate.  "  Those 
confounded  Yankees  have  vanished  as  completely  as  if  they 
had  never  existed.  I  can 't  believe,  Evans,  that  your  two 
captures  frightened  them  to  such  an  extent." 

"  I  acted  under  orders,  Captain." 

"  Certainly,  and  I  am  not  blaming  you  for  it.  A  good 
hunter  traps  his  game  when  he  finds  it.  But,  after  all, 


136  CAPTURE   OF  THE   BLUE  BOY. 

you  can  't  have  caught  them  all,  deuce  take  it !  There  must 
be  some  left.  I  am  rather  suspicious  of  the  English  frigate 
which  we  met  off  Gibraltar.  It  must  be  she  who  put  a 
flea  in  the  ears  of  our  Yankees.  What  business  can  it 
be  of  the  English  ?  Let  them  come  out  openly  for  the 
North,  or  else  cease  to  protect  her  craft ! " 

Just  at  this  moment  they  heard  the  clear  voice  of  Pen- 
guin, who  was  on  the  lookout  on  the  cross-trees,  shouting : 
"  A  sail  off  the  port-quarter ! " 

"  I  '11  ease  my  mind  now ! "  cried  Captain  Green.  "  For- 
ward, Evans  !  I  '11  go  up  myself  and  see  what  the  wind  is 
bringing  us  " ;  and  armed  with  his  spy-glass,  he  climbed  into 
the  shrouds,  which  trembled  beneath  his  weight ;  but,  noth- 
ing daunted,  he  mounted  to  the  top.  From  this  height 
the  ship  signalled  was  plainly  visible,  her  lines  clearly  out- 
lined against  the  horizon.  The  captain  directed  his  glass 
to  that  point. 

"  I  won't  be  fooled  again,"  he  muttered  a  moment  later. 
"All  the  flags  in  the  world  won't  make  me  believe  that 
this  ship  is  not  rightfully  mine.  I  should  be  a  downright 
land-lubber  not  to  know  a  Baltimore  trader  by  that  elegant 
rigging  and  those  sharp  bows." 

And  stooping  towards  the  deck,  he  shouted :  "  West  by 
southwest,  straight  ahead !  We  've  got  her  now." 

An  instant  after  he  was  impatiently  pacing  the  deck. 
The  frigate  sailed  too  slowly  for  his  ardor.  He  ordered 
more  steam  put  on,  and  the  sails  trimmed.  Every  man  was 
set  to  work ;  each  stood  to  his  post. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  137 

At  last  the  merchantman  was  within  a  mile  of  the  At- 
lanta. She  was  a  superb  three-master,  of  heavy  tonnage, 
but  lightly  laden,  and  well  fitted  for  a  race. 

The  corsair  hoisted  her  flag ;  the  merchantman  slowly 
returned  her  salute,  and  Captain  Green  could  not  repress 
an  exclamation  when  he  saw  the  scarlet  flag  go  up. 

"  By  Jingo  ! "  (his  favorite  oath)  "  the  scoundrel  is  hoist- 
ing the  English  Jack." 

A  comical  disappointment  also  appeared  on  the  faces  of 
the  sailors,  as  they  saw  this  fine  prey  slipping  through 
their  fingers. 

The  captain  seemed  irresolute,  then  suddenly  exclaimed : 
"  Order  the  Englishman  to  heave  to  and  send  a  boat  along- 
side, and  strengthen  the  invitation  with  a  blank  cartridge. 
We  '11  see  what  happens  next.  I  am  determined  to  have  a 
clear  conscience  for  once." 

"  Are  n't  you  afraid,"  remarked  Lieutenant  Evans,  "  that 
you  '11  get  us  into  trouble  with  the  British  Admiralty  ? " 

"  I  fear  nothing.  Are  you  blind  that  you  don't  recog- 
nize a  Baltimore  clipper  ?  I  think  that  the  rascal  has  put 
on  a  false  nose.  Well,  if  he  has  really  turned  English, 
he  can  show  me  his  papers.  I  shall  make  him  an  apology, 
and  it  will  be  all  right.  We  are  not  highway  robbers,  are 
we?" 

Paying  no  attention  to  the  Atlanta's  signals,  the  trader 
sailed  straight  ahead ;  besides  which,  she  lowered  her  flag 
as  a  species  of  defiance.  Profiting  by  the  wind,  which  was 


138  CAPTURE  OF  THE  BLUE  BOY. 

favorable  to  her,  she  set  her  studding  sails  and  spread  a 
cloud  of  canvas,  as  if  to  double  her  speed. 

This  manoeuvre  made  the  captain  laugh. 

"  What  did  I  tell  you,  Evans  ?  "  said  he.  "  The  Yankee 
is  not  so  smart  as  I  thought.  He  has  taken  to  his  heels, 
in  spite  of  his  flag,  as  if  anything  could  outsail  the  At- 
lanta ! "  And  turning  to  the  gunners :  "  Pepper  her,  my 
boys,  but  be  easy  about  it,  you  know ;  just  give  her  a  little 
scare.  We  don't  want  to  spoil  her  cargo." 

The  order  was  hardly  issued  when  a  shot  was  fired,  and 
a  shell,  hissing  through  the  air,  burst  a  few  yards  behind 
the  trader,  throwing  up  a  high  column  of  water.  A  second 
shot  went  through  the  rigging.  The  next  few  shots  were 
without  result ;  the  fugitive  kept  her  distance,  but  a  shell 
soon  shattered  her  mizzenmast. 

Seeing  that  the  game  was  becoming  earnest,  the  English- 
man put  the  helm  against  the  wind. 

"  Cease  firing ! "  shouted  Captain  Green  as  he  saw  this 
manoeuvre ;  but  at  the  same  instant  a  shot  was  heard,  and 
a  bullet  shivered  the  starboard  bulwarks  of  the  three- 
master. 

Staggering,  the  trader  hoisted  the  white  flag  and  lowered 
her  sails.  At  the  same  time  a  boat  put  off.  The  Atlanta, 
keeping  on  her  course,  took  up  a  position  abreast  of  her, 
within  easy  hail. 

Directly  after,  the  captain  of  the  three-master  stepped 
upon  the  deck  of  the  privateer.  He  was  a  tall,  thin  man, 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  139 

of  a  bilious  complexion,  with  a  short,  straggling  beard 
under  his  chin.  He  seemed  frantic  with  rage,  and  without 
returning  Captain  Green's  salute,  exclaimed  in  a  shrill 
voice :  "  How  long,  sir,  have  United  States  ships  been  in 
the  habit  of  firing  on  peaceful  English  traders  ?  I  shall 
state  the  ravages  which  you  have  committed  on  my  vessel, 
at  the  nearest  port,  and  report  you  to  the  admiralty  council 
as  pirates.  I  demand  an  apology  and  an  indemnity  for 
this  insult." 

"  All  very  fine,  Mr.  Captain,"  replied  Captain  Green, 
"  but  be  calm,  I  beg.  If  your  accent  does  not  deceive  me,  I 
would  swear  that  you  are  a  Yankee,  at  least  by  birth,  and, 
by  that  reckoning,  your  eyes  must  be  sharp  enough  to  see 
that  the  flag  which  I  fly  is  not  that  of  the  North  American 
Union,  but  that  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  of  the  slave- 
holders, as  your  fellow-citizens  would  say.  Besides,  I  am 
quite  ready  to  show  you  my  commission,  which  author- 
izes rne  to  cruise  in  all  waters  and  to  capture  all  ships  fly- 
ing the  Federal  flag." 

"  Very  good,"  responded  the  would-be  Englishman ;  "  but 
you  must  have  seen  that  I  fly  the  British  flag." 

"  Drop  that,"  said  Captain  Green.  "  Although  a  sailor,  I 
don't  care  a  fig  for  your  flag.  If  you  are  English,  you  have 
your  ship's  papers." 

"My  papers?  Certainly.  Here  is  my  charter-party, 
proving  that  the  firm  of  Nichols  &  Co.  —  " 

"  English,  of  course  ? " 


140  CAPTURE   OF   THE   BLUE   BOY. 

"  Of  course.  The  firm  of  Nichols  &  Co.,  of  Shanghai, 
consigned  me  with  a  cargo  of  tea  —  " 

"  English  ? "  asked  Captain  Green. 

"No,  sir,  Chinese;  consigned  to  the  firm  of  Shuttle- 
wood." 

"Of  —  ?" 

"  Of  New  York." 

"Of  New  York,  a  city  famed  for  its  loyalty  to  the 
queen  of  England.  Come,  Captain,"  continued  Captain 
Green  in  a  stern  voice,  "  cease  joking.  I  warn  you  that 
you  are  my  prisoner,  and  that  if  you  make  another  attempt 
to  deceive  me,  I  will  hang  you  up  high  and  dry  at  the 
main-yard,  as  a  traitor.  Your  name  ? " 

"  Captain  Cummings." 

"  And  your  ship  ? " 

"  The  Blue  Boy." 

"  From  what  port  ? " 

"  Baltimore,"  reluctantly  replied  the  poor  fellow. 

"  What  did  I  tell  you,  Evans  ? "  said  Captain  Green  tri- 
umphantly. "  Well,  Captain  Cummings,"  he  resumed  seri- 
ously, "  I  regret  to  tell  you  that,  in  virtue  of  the  powers 
vested  in  me,  I  must  take  immediate  possession  of  your 
vessel,  the  Blue  Boy,  and  give  it  to  the  flames  after  strip- 
ping it  of  all  articles  of  value  to  my  crew  or  myself." 

"  Impossible,  Captain ! "  cried  the  horrified  Yankee. 
"You  would  not  do  such  a  thing.  I  am  ready  to  pay 
whatever  ransom  you  require.  My  signature  is  well 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  141 

known,  and  my  draughts  will  be  honored  at  sight  in  Liver- 
pool or  London,  as  you  choose." 

"  I  see  that  you  still  take  me  for  a  pirate,"  said  Captain 
Green.  "  1  have  no  use  for  your  money.  In  my  quality 
of  privateer,  recognized  by  my  own  government,  I  must 
needs  do  all  in  my  power  to  destroy  your  national  com- 
merce. I  have  a  perfect  right  to  seize  your  cargo,  and  sell 
it  if  necessary,  to  pay  my  crew,  having  no  other  means  of 
doing  so ;  but  I  cannot  negotiate  with  you."  And  turn- 
ing to  his  officers,  he  said :  "  Nichols,  show  Mr.  Cummings 
to  a  state-room  and  set  a  guard  to  watch  him.  As  for 
you,  Evans,  take  possession  of  the  Blue  Boy." 

The  captain's  orders  were  speedily  executed.  While  the 
Yankee  captain  was  made  fast  below,  the  boats  of  the 
Atlanta  boarded  the  American  three-master,  and  the  crew 
sprang  upon  her  deck.  The  American  sailors  made  some 
attempt  at  resistance,  but  were  soon  bound  hand  and  foot, 
and  transferred  to  the  Atlanta. 

If  privateers  are  not  pirates,  they  only  differ  from  them 
in  the  patriotic  side  of  their  mission,  —  a  mission  which 
has  a  lofty  aim,  since  it  furnishes  a  crushed  and  oppressed 
nation  with  a  last  weapon  with  which  to  defend  its  inde- 
pendence. France  has  more  than  once  resorted  to  this 
desperate  weapon.  But  if  we  set  aside  this  respectable 
argument,  it  is,  as  we  said,  very  hard  to  distinguish  be- 
tween privateers  and  pirates. 

The  sailors  no  sooner  set  foot  on  the  Blue  Boy's  deck 


142  CAPTURE   OF  THE   BLUE   BOY. 

than  they  set  to  work  to  despoil  her.  Some  opened  the 
hatches  and  hauled  the  cargo  from  the  hold ;  others  stripped 
the  state-rooms  and  saloon.  The  most  crafty  stole  into  the 
store-room  and  poured  themselves  out  huge  bumpers  of 
brandy.  In  a  word,  confusion  ran  riot. 

Daniel  looked  on  with  amazement.  He  could  not  un- 
derstand the  indifference  of  good  Mr.  Evans,  who  stood 
amidships,  watching  the  pillage. 

"  All  this  would  surprise  you  less,  my  dear  Daniel,"  said 
Penguin,  "  if  you  knew  what  a  bitter  grudge  every  one  of 
us  bears  to  the  Yankees.  How  can  I  tell  you  all  the  at- 
rocities which  we  have  been  forced  to  endure  at  their  hands  ? 
Mr.  Evans,  whom  you  see  yonder,  had  an  old  father  and 
mother  living  on  a  beautiful  plantation  in  Alabama :  the 
negroes,  urged  on  by  the  Yankees,  murdered  them  both  and 
burned  their  home.  Nichols,  who  was  overseer  on  a  great 
sugar  plantation  near  Baton  Eouge,  was  tied  to  a  post  by 
the  slaves,  and  left  for  dead  after  they  had  nearly  cut  him 
to  pieces  with  whips.  And  was  not  Captain  Green's  ship, 
his  only  fortune,  taken  from  him  in  New  York  harbor, 
on  pretence  that  he  was  a  secessionist  ?  And  although  he 
was  snatched  from  the  hands  of  the  mob,  which  was  drag- 
ging him  to  the  gallows,  it  was  only  to  throw  him  into  jail, 
whence  he  escaped  by  a  miracle." 

"  Not  by  a  miracle,  my  boy,"  interrupted  Mr.  Evans,  who 
had  overheard  the  last  words ;  "  for  it  was  you  who  came 
and  told  me  where  my  old  friend  was  imprisoned,  and  you 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  143 

were  most  helpful  in  getting  him  over  the  walls  of  the 
jail." 

And  turning  to  Daniel,  he  added :  "  You  see  this  worthy 
fellow.  Well,  I  advise  you  always  to  follow  his  example, 
for  I  don't  know  a  braver  or  more  honest  little  soul  than 
he."  Then  seizing  the  silver  whistle  which  hung  from 
his  neck  by  a  cord,  he  blew  two  or  three  shrill  blasts.  In- 
stantly, as  if  by  magic,  silence  took  the  place  of  uproar. 
The  sailors,  leaving  their  various  occupations,  ranged 
themselves  respectfully  in  a  double  line  before  their 
officer. 

"  My  lads,"  said  the  latter,  "  the  captain  allowed  you 
half  an  hour.  The  half  hour  is  over :  you  will  therefore  re- 
move all  the  luggage  and  personal  property  of  the  officers 
and  sailors  of  the  Blue  Boy,  that  it  may  be  returned  to 
them  upon  their  landing.  Is  everything  ready  for  the 
firing  of  the  ship  ? " 

"  Yes,  Captain,"  said  a  boatswain's  mate.  "  I  have  seen 
to  the  laying  of  several  trains  of  powder,  connected  by  slow- 
matches,  which  I  will  light,  if  you  order  it,  as  I  leave  the 
vessel." 

"  Very  well,  then,  let  us  take  to  the  boats  !  "  said  the4 
officer;  and   they  returned  to  the  Atlanta,   loaded   with 
spoils. 

"  Did  you  look  out  for  my  share  ? "  Captain  Green  asked 
Evans. 

"  Here  it  is,  Captain,"  replied  the  latter,  handing  him  a 


144  CAPTURE   OF   THE   BLUE   BOY. 

silver  chronometer,  marked,  as  is  usual,  with  the  name  of 
the  captured  ship. 

"Good,"  replied  the  captain.  "This  chronometer  shall 
form  the  first  article  of  a  collection  which  I  promised  to 
bring  back  to  our  President,  Jefferson  Davis.  As  for  the 
money  taken,  it  will  be  put  into  the  ship's  treasury,  and  the 
cargo  will  be  put  into  the  hold.  And  the  vessel  ?  Are  my 
orders  obeyed  ? " 

"Look,  Captain!" 

Already,  indeed,  a  cloud  of  smoke  issued  from  every 
port  and  seam  in  the  luckless  Blue  Boy,  as  it  drifted  slowly 
along  with  the  current. 

The  flames  soon  reached  the  rigging,  and  shortly  after 
the  hull  was  seen  smouldering  like  a  fiery  furnace.  The 
shades  of  night  quickly  increased  the  awful  grandeur  of  the 
spectacle.  Then  suddenly  a  bluish  jet  darted  heaven- 
wards, a  fearful  explosion  was  heard,  and  all  was  dark.  A 
long  and  loud  "  Hurrah ! "  hailed  the  disappearance  of  the 
Yankee  craft. 


"  The  two  boys  touched  their  glasses." 


CHAPTER   XII. 

AN   UNEXPECTED   ALLY. 

THE  Atlanta  resumed  her  course.  Sailing  in  an  easterly 
direction  before  the  wind,  she  found  herself  next  morning 
lying  off  the  island  of  Madeira,  where  Captain  Green  had 
decided  to  land  his  prisoners. 

The  rising  sun  gilded  the  houses  of  Funchal,  the  charm- 
ing little  capital  of  the  island,  stretching  amphitheatre-like 
along  the  sea-shore,  upon  the  radiant  slopes  of  a  mountain 
which  rears  its  bald  head  proudly  upwards  to  the  sky. 

10 


146  AN   UNEXPECTED   ALLY. 

The  frigate,  her  flag  flying  at  the  mast,  anchored  in  mid- 
harbor,  witli  a  large  number  of  trading  vessels,  all  English 
or  French;  still,  a  Yankee  ship  would  have  been  perfectly 
safe  there,  for  the  Atlanta  could  not  have  harmed  her  in 
these  waters,  protected  by  the  Portuguese  flag. 

An  officer  of  the  port  at  once  boarded  the  A  tlanta,  which 
he  took  for  a  peaceful  American  steamer,  and  na  was  much 
surprised  when  Captain  Green  revealed  the  true  nature  of 
his  ship.  The  officer  was  unwilling  to  give  the  freedom  of 
the  port  to  the  privateer  without  consulting  the  governor, 
and  the  frigate  was  forced  to  remain  all  day  without  com- 
munication with  the  land. 

This  was  anything  but  satisfactory  to  the  crew,  who 
longed  to  get  on  shore  and  spend  their  prize  money  in  the 
Funchal  taverns  as  soon  as  possible.  Their  impatience  gave 
way  to  deep  disappointment  when  the  officer  returned  at 
nightfall  and  announced  to  Captain  Green  that  the  governor 
would  permit  him  to  land  his  prisoners  and  take  in  sup- 
plies, but  expressly  forbade  him  to  send  any  of  the  crew 
on  shore,  the  only  exception  being  in  favor  of  the  captain 
and  his  officers.  The  sailors  grumbled  loudly  ;  some  even 
hinted  that,  if  the  captain  allowed  them,  they  would  think 
it  a  good  lark  to  seize  Funchal  and  pillage  the  shops ;  but 
no  one  dared  make  the  suggestion  to  him. 

Next  day  Captain  Cummings  and  his  men  were  sent  on 
shore.  Captain  Green  also  went,  to  arrange  for  the  sale  of 
the  captured  tea,  and  the  purchase  of  provisions.  The  two 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  147 

cabin  boys,  being  attached  to  his  personal  service,  went 
with  him.  As  the  captain's  business  was  somewhat  lengthy, 
he  gave  his  young  favorites  several  hours'  leave.  "  Mind," 
he  said  as  he  left  them,  "  don't  get  into  any  mischief,  and 
don't  stray  too  far  away." 

"  Never  fear,  Captain,"  said  Penguin  as  he  took  Daniel's 
arm  and  dragged  him  gayly  along. 

"  As  this  is  the  first  lark  we  have  had  together,  I  must 
treat,"  said  the  young  Canadian.  "  I  think  I  see  a  tavern : 
that 's  just  the  thing." 

"  A  tavern  ! "  said  the  astonished  Daniel.  "  Are  you  going 
to  a  tavern  ?  " 

"  Pray,  why  not  ? " 

"  1  should  never  have  suspected  you  of  such  a  thing,  and 
I  'm  sure  that  the  captain  would  n't  like  it.  You  know  he 
is  very  strict  on  that  point." 

"  Oh,  I  see,"  said  Penguin,  laughing ;  "  you  think  that 
I  'm  going  to  do  as  the  sailors  do.  No,  my  boy,  that 's  not 
it.  You  see,  that  ever  since  I  knew  we  were  coming  here, 
two  days  ago,  I  Ve  had  a  plan.  I  am  determined  to  treat 
you  to  a  glass  of  real  Madeira." 

"  True,  I  quite  forgot  that  we  were  in  Madeira.  If  that 's 
all,  I  accept.  I  Ve  always  heard  people  say  :  '  This  is  real 
Madeira.  This  is  not  real  Madeira,'  and  as  I  have  never 
tasted  either,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  know  the  truth  of  the 
matter." 

"  Well,  here  is  a  shop  where  we  can  get  the  required  in- 


148  AN   UNEXPECTED   ALLY. 

formation,  for  I  see  that  the  sign  reads  '  Vinho  e  Liquores,' 
which  must  mean  '  Wines  and  Liquors.' " 

The  two  boys  boldly  entered,  and  Penguin,  stepping  up 
to  the  counter,  behind  which  stood  a  mulatto  with  amaz- 
ingly woolly  hair,  said  quickly :  "  Two  glasses  of  Madeira  !  " 

"  We  have  none,"  was  the  laconic  reply.  Penguin,  feeling 
sure  that  lie  was  not  understood,  repeated  his  request,  and 
the  mulatto  again  replied  :  "  We  have  none.  " 

"  What,  no  Madeira  ?  "  cried  Daniel  in  his  turn. 

"  No,  sir,  not  at  present.  We  expect  a  ship  from  Cette 
any  day,  which  will  bring  us  a  full  assortment  of  the  best 
Madeiras,  Malagas,  etc.  But  we  have  very  good  brandy 
—  excellent — ." 

"  We  don't  want  either  brandy  or  Madeira  from  Cette," 
interrupted  Penguin ;  and  he  added,  with  some  dignity : 
"  Although  we  are  only  cabin  boys,  we  have  money  to  pay 
for  what  we  order,  and  we  want  Madeira  wine  made  in 
Madeira,  and  the  very  best." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  tavern-keeper,  in  a  conciliatory 
tone,  "  I  have  already  had  the  honor  to  tell  you  that  there  is 
no  more  "  —  and  he  emphasized  the  words  —  "  Madeira  wine 
in  Madeira.  Eleven  years  ago  the  last  vines  were  destroyed 
by  an  insect,  were  pulled  up  and  thrown  away ;  and  the 
island  has  never  produced  a  single  bottle  of  wine  since." 

"  But,  then,"  said  the  incredulous  Penguin,  "  where 
does  all  the  Madeira  come  from  which  is  daily  consumed 
all  over  the  world  ? " 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  149 

"  The  best  comes  from  Cette,  sir ;  but  I  could  n't  swear 
that  they  don't  make  it  elsewhere." 

"  No  Madeira  in  Madeira  ' "  again  muttered  Penguin.  "  I 
shall  never  get  over  it.  Give  us  two  small  glasses  of 
brandy,  which  is  equally  genuine,  I  suppose.  There  is 
nothing  but  deceit  in  this  world." 

The-  two  boys  touched  their  glasses,  philosophically 
tossed  off  the  poor  corn-brandy  which  the  mulatto  offered 
them,  and  went  away  arm  in  arm. 

"  I  have  an  idea  that  that  fellow  was  making  fun  of  us," 
said  Penguin,  still  full  of  his  disappointment.  "  Let  us  go 
on  a  little  way  out  of  the  town  ;  then  we  shall  see  whether 
there  are  any  vines  left." 

The  tavern-keeper  was  right :  no  sign  of  a  vine  was  to 
be  seen  in  the  country ;  but  to  make  up  for  it,  the  two 
friends  were  overwhelmed  with  delight  at  the  magnificent 
orange-trees  which  grew  in  regular  groves  on  each  side  of 
the  road.  By  paying  a  very  small  sum,  a  peasant  gave 
them  permission  to  eat  as  much  fruit  as  they  chose,  and 
they  fairly  gorged  themselves  with  the  golden,  perfumed 
pulp. 

That  done,  as  it  was  growing  late,  the  friends  prepared 
to  return  to  the  ship.  They  came  into  a  narrow  street, 
leading  to  the  harbor,  and  lined  with  taverns,  from  whence 
they  heard  shouts  and  singing,  which  testified  to  the  pres- 
ence of  numerous  sailors. 

The  boys  were  hurrying  on,  when  they  were  suddenly 


150  AN   UNEXPECTED    ALLY. 

hailed  rudely  in  a  tipsy  voice,  and  turning;  they  saw  a 
stout  sailor  close  beside  them. 

"  Why  are  you  running  away  so  fast  ? "  said  the  man. 
"You  weren't  so  shy  the  other  day,  when  yo  had  your 
thieves  of  the  Atlanta  to  back  you.  But  you  sha'n't  get 
away  until  I  have  settled  your  reckoning  with  a  good 
smart  drubbing." 

"  Come  on ! "  said  Penguin  to  Daniel.  "  The  fellow  is 
drunk." 

But  already  the  sailor,  who  was  no  other  than  one  of 
the  Blue  Boy's  crew,  had  seized  Daniel  roughly  by  the 
arm  and  shaken  him  severely.  Penguin,  who  had  taken  to 
his  heels,  flew  to  the  rescue ;  and  the  two  boys  would  soon 
have  mastered  their  tormentor,  who  was  disabled  by  intox- 
ication, if  other  Yankee  sailors,  attracted  by  the  noise,  had 
not  hastened  out  to  take  their  comrade's  part. 

The  poor  cabin  boys  were  dragged  into  the  tavern,  and 
there,  surrounded  by  these  cut-throats,  they  struggled  man- 
fully, but  not  without  receiving  many  hard  thumps. 
Their  situation  was  becoming  alarming,  and  they  were 
in  a  terrible  plight,  when  an  unexpected  ally  suddenly 
appeared. 

The  sailors  thronging  the  neighboring  taverns,  drawn  to 
the  spot  by  the  uproar,  were  looking  indifferently  on  at 
this  brutal  scene,  when  Daniel,  bunded  by  blows,  and  terror- 
stricken,  screamed,  "  Help !  help  !  " 

At  this  appeal,  several  spectators  plunged  into  the  thick 


"  Daniel  and  Penguin,  at  last  getting  free,  ran  off  at  full  speed."  —  Page  153 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  153 

of  the  fight,  and  took  part  with  the  boys.  One  of  them, 
conspicuous  for  his  great  height  and  his  fur  cap,  fought 
like  a  perfect  demon,  yelling  frantically  to  the  Yankees, 
"Ah,  rascals,  is  this  the  way  you  insult  Frenchmen  !  Just 
wait!" 

What  were  Daniel's  astonishment,  surprise,  and  stupe- 
faction when  he  recognized  in  this  intrepid  ally  his  old 
friend,  Dominic  Martigues. 

The  latter  did  not  seem  to  recognize  his  ward.  Besides, 
he  had  his  hands  full,  for  the  tight  now  became  serious. 
At  the  cries  of  the  combatants,  the  guests  of  all  the  neigh- 
boring taverns  rushed  into  the  arena,  and  French  and 
English  fell  upon  each  other  without  knowing  the  cause  of 
the  quarrel,  and  simply  moved  by  patriotic  motives. 

The  brawl  became  general ;  it  was  difficult  to  foretell 
the  result.  Daniel  and  Penguin,  at  last  getting  free, 
profited  by  the  brief  respite,  and  ran  off  at  full  speed. 
One  of  the  combatants  rushed  after  them,  but  the  boys 
were  nimble,  and  their  pursuer  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  distanced  if  he  had  not  called  after  them :  — 

"  Hollo,  Daniel !    Stop,  I  say,  I  can't  stir  another  step ! " 

At  the  sound  of  this  well-known  voice,  the  boys  stopped. 
A  moment  later  Dominic  —  for  it  was  he  —  came  up  with 
them,  and  without  the  slightest  hesitation  or  embarrassment, 
clasped  Daniel  in  his  arms,  and  embraced  him  with  every 
sign  of  the  most  ardent  affection. 

"Well,   youngster,  you   don't  mean  to  say   that   you 


154  AN   UNEXPECTED   ALLY. 

don't  know  Dominic,  your  old  friend  ?  How  glad  I  am  to 
see  you  again  !  It  does  me  good ;  it  seems  like  old  times ! 
How  lucky  that  I  was  on  hand !  If  it  had  n't  been  for 
me,  those  scoundrels  would  have  hammered  you  flat,  while 
as  it  is,  my  messmates  of  the  Pretty  Polly  are  on  the  fair 
road  to  teach  them  a  good  lesson." 

Daniel,  confounded  by  so  much  assurance,  silently  stared 
at  the  man  who  had  deceived  him  so  outrageously  ou  a 
former  occasion. 

"  You  stare  at  me  as  if  you  did  not  know  me,  "  con- 
tinued Dominic.  "  Oh,  I  see  how  it  is :  you  are  offended 
with  me  for  leaving  you  behind  at  the  Three  Parrots.  I 
could  not  help  it.  The  captain  of  the  Pretty  Polly  did 
not  want  a  cabin  boy.  I  preferred  to  avoid  farewells.  I 
was  too  loath  to  leave  you.  And  then  I  recommended  you 
to  Mrs.  Ginestous.  I  hope  that  she  took  good  care  of  you." 

"  Yes,  thank  you,"  stammered  Daniel,  astounded  by 
Dominic's  eloquence. 

"  I  see  that  you  've  contrived  to  get  well  out  of  the 
scrape,"  resumed  the  latter.  "  Here  you  are  swelling  about 
like  a  regular  dandy.  Are  you  in  the  service  of  the 
State  ? " 

"•No,  I  am  cabin  boy  on  board  the  Atlanta." 

"  The  deuce !  On  board  the  famous  Southern  privateer ! 
I  congratulate  you ;  that 's  a  good  berth,  you  must  make  a 
lot  of  money.  And  this  gentleman  ? "  he  added,  pointing 
to  Penguin,  who  stood  close  by. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  155 

"He  is  my  mate  on  board  the  Atlanta." 

"What's  his  name?" 

"Penguin,"  replied  the  young  Canadian. 

"  What 's  in  a  name  ?  Your  servant,  Mr.  Penguin  ; 
and  as  we  are  all  friends  together,  you  won't  refuse  to 
join  us  in  taking  some  slight  refreshment  at  the  hotel 
round  the  corner." 

"Impossible,"  said  Daniel.  "We  must  hasten  back  to 
the  ship.  We  are  behind  tune  now." 

They  were  not  behind  their  time ;  but  as  they  reached 
the  wharf,  they  saw  the  captain  coining  towards  them. 
Daniel  received  another  embrace  from  Dominic,  who  ex- 
claimed, "  Good-by,  youngster !  You  know  we  shall  be 
sure  to  meet  again  " ;  and  then  the  boys  jumped  into  the 
boat  and  put  off  for  the  ship. 

The  poor  boy  was  thunderstruck  by  such  impudence. 
How  could  this  man  dare  to  embrace  him  and  show  such 
friendship  for  him,  after  robbing  him  of  a  sacred  trust? 
Still,  Dominic  might  be  innocent.  Perhaps  he,  Daniel, 
had  not  searched  thoroughly;  perhaps  the  portfolio  had 
slipped  through  a  crack  in  the  floor. 

Once  more  on  board,  Penguin  was  struck  by  his  friend's 
look  of  distress.  He  tried  to  restore  his  gay  spirits  and 
questioned  him  tenderly.  Daniel  was  silent,  and  repulsed 
every  overture. 

His  meeting  with  Dominic  revived  all  his  slumbering 
memories,  aroused  his  dreams  for  the  future,  and  rekindled 


156  AN   UNEXPECTED   ALLY. 

his  ambitious  desires.  That  night  the  young  cabin  boy 
took  advantage  of  an  instant's  solitude  to  re-read  the  mys- 
terious paper  which  had  dropped  from  the  miner's  portfolio, 
and  as  he  fell  asleep,  his  last  thoughts  were  of  Australia, 
that  new  Eldorado. 


"  Captain  Green  rose." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A   BOLD   STROKE. 

THE  capture  of  the  Blue  Boy  seemed  to  put  an  end  to 
the  Atlanta's  long  period  of  inaction.  Thenceforth,  one 
capture  followed  another  in  rapid  succession.  Within  a 
few  months  the  bold  corsair  captured  fourteen  American 
merchantmen,  which  all  met  with  a  similar  fate ;  that  is, 
they  were  burned  after  the  cargo  was  removed.  They  did 
not  all  fall  so  easy  a  prey  as  the  Blue  Boy ;  some,  swift 
sailers,  were  only  taken  after  a  chase  of  several  days; 
others  resisted  stoutly.  One  of  them,  a  vessel  trading  in 
southern  seas  and  armed  with  light  ordnance,  fought 
bravely  and  only  surrendered  upon  being  boarded.  Cap- 
tain Green  therefore  treated  his  opponent  with  the  honors 
of  war,  permitting  him  and  his  crew  to  retain  all  their  per- 
sonal property. 


158  A  BOLD   STROKE. 

Ill  pleased  with  the  reception  accorded  him  by  the  Por- 
tuguese authorities  at  Madeira,  Captain  Green  selected  the 
port  of  Las  Palmas  in  Gran  Canaria  as  his  headquarters. 
This  port,  the  most  convenient  in  those  parts,  afforded  him 
a  safe  shelter  in  stormy  weather,  and  at  the  same  tune  a 
good  market  for  the  sale  of  his  prizes  and  the  provisioning 
of  his  ship.  By  maritime  law,  in  his  quality  of  privateer 
he  could  only  remain  in  the  harbor  for  four  consecutive 
days ;  but  the  amiability  of  the  Spanish  officials  allowed 
him  great  latitude  in  the  matter. 

And  yet  Europe  began  to  be  startled  by  this  audacious 
cruiser,  stationed  at  her  very  gates,  and  every  one  was 
amazed  to  see  that  the  United  States  made  no  attempt  to 
protect  her  commerce  in  its  hour  of  danger. 

Captain  Green  himself  was  astonished  at  the  composure 
of  his  adversaries. 

"  It  is  impossible,"  he  said,  "  that  the  Yankees  will  leave 
us  alone  much  longer.  One  of  these  days  they  will  send 
out  a  fleet,  that  is,  unless  their  affairs  go  very  badly  indeed 
at  home.  The  captain  of  the  last  vessel  that  we  took,  told 
me  that  our  brave  Stonewall  Jackson  whipped  Grant  only 
a  few  months  before,  and  drove  him  beyond  the  Potomac. 
God  grant  it  may  be  true,  and  that  our  poor  land  may  be 
forever  rid  of  those  tyrants ! " 

Exactly  one  year  from  the  day  upon  which  Captain 
Green  took  command  of  the  Atlanta,  she  lay  at  anchor  in 
the  harbor  of  Las  Palmas,  having  just  returned  from  an 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  159 

expedition.  To  celebrate  the  anniversary,  the  captain  gave 
his  men  leave  to  go  on  shore,  and  himself  invited  all  the 
officers  to  a  grand  dinner  at  the  best  hotel  in  town.  The 
dinner  was  superb.  Daniel  and  Penguin  had  the  honor  of 
being  present,  standing  behind  the  captain's  chair.  At  the 
close  of  the  meal  the  guests  became  somewhat  excited  and 
drank  various  toasts,  —  to  the  President  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  the  captain,  the  extermination  of  the  Yankees, 
etc.,  etc. 

Captain  Green  rose  to  reply ;  but  before  he  had  uttered 
a  word,  the  door  opened,  and  admitted  the  governor  of  the 
town,  Don  Alvarez  y  Gomez.  The  brave  hidalgo  was 
greeted  with  a  merry  shout,  and  the  captain  invited  him 
to  sit  down  and  join  them. 

"  You  see,  Don  Alvarez,"  said  he,  "  that  we  reserved  a 
place  for  you." 

"  Thanks,  gentlemen,"  replied  the  governor.  "  My  official 
position  forbids  me  to  take  part  in  this  banquet,  although 
I  am  thoroughly  persuaded  that  the  government  of  His 
Catholic  Majesty  will  not  long  delay  its  recognition  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  which  is  already  united  to  Spain 
1  >y  many  and  ancient  memories ;  but  until  that  time  I 
must  remain  neutral,  at  least  in  appearance,"  he  added, 
with  a  smile.  "  At  present,  I  should  like  a  few  moments' 
private  conversation  with  your  brave  and  honored  cap- 
tain." 

Captain  Green  left  the  table  and  followed  Don  Alvarez 


160  A  BOLD   STROKE. 

from  the  room.  A  few  minutes  later  he  returned  and 
resumed  his  seat,  but  the  officers  observed  that  his  frank, 
jolly  face  was  overcast ;  and  silence  prevailed  among  them 
as  they  awaited  some  important  communication. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  captain,  in  a  grave  tone,  "  when 
Don  Alvarez  entered,  I  was  about  to  propose  a  toast  which 
would  sum  up  our  every  thought  and  aspiration.  Let  us 
drink,  gentlemen,  to  the  triumph  of  our  just  cause,  to  the 
independence  of  our  native  land." 

Every  man  rose  as  by  one  impulse,  and  striking  their 
glass  together,  shouted :  "  We  will  give  our  blood,  our  life, 
for  those  who  trust  in  us ! " 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,"  continued  the  captain,  "  the  country 
trusts  in  you.  Wounded,  bleeding,  torn  in  every  limb, 
she  has  charged  you  with  the  most  perilous  of  missions ; 
for  you  are  well  aware  that  we  should  be  hung  as  vile 
pirates,  should  we  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  foe.  Well, 
the '  moment  has  come  when  we  may  hope  to  prove  our 
devotion  to  our  native  land.  The  governor  has  just  im- 
parted to  me  news  of  the"  utmost  importance,  which  he 
himself  learned  from  a  sailor  who  had  deserted.  Two 
Yankee  men-of-war  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  har- 
bor to-night."  And  turning  to  the  cabin  boys,  he  said  : 
"  Daniel,  bring  in  the  sailor  who  is  waiting  in  the  next 
room." 

The  lad  returned,  followed  by  a  sailor,  who,  removing 
his  cap,  took  up  his  position  in  front  of  the  captain. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  161 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  sternly  asked  the  latter. 

"  ]VIy  name  is  Hugh  Williams,  I  am  a  native  of  the 
State  of  Alabama.  Pressed  on  board  the  Shenandoah,  I 
escaped  this  very  evening  on  learning  that  you  were  in  port." 

"  What  interest  have  you  in  betraying  your  superior 
officers  ? " 

"  None,  Captain,  except  to  serve  my  country.  I  am  a 
secessionist,  and  have  served  in  General  Lee's  army.  Taken 
prisoner,  I  was,  as  I  told  you,  pressed  into  the  service  of 
the  North.  I  beg  you,  as  a  great  favor,  to  engage  me  for 
the  Atlanta." 

"  What  are  the  ships  which  are  trying  to  blockade  us  ? " 
continued  Captain  Green. 

"  The  Shenandoah,  an  iron  ship  of  twenty-four  guns,  and 
the  Washington,  a  three-decker  of  eighty  guns." 

"  I  know  both  those  ships,"  said  the  captain.  "  It  is 
well,  you  may  go.  I  will  see  what  I  can  do  to  reward  you. 
Daniel  and  Penguin,  keep  an  eye  on  this  man !  You  see, 
gentlemen,  that  the  United  States  do  us  great  honor :  they 
send  two  of  their  best  ships  to  destroy  us.  We  must 
contrive  to  get  out  of  this  mouse-trap  in  which  we  have 
allowed  ourselves  to  be  caught.  We  are  safe  in  this  port ; 
but  it  would  really  be  disgraceful  to  hide  here  much 
longer.  To  get  out,  we  must  show  fight  — ' 

"  Good,  Captain ! "  exclaimed  all  the  officers,  animated  by 
the  approach  of  the  enemy.  "  Let  us  fight  them.  With 
you  to  lead  us  on,  victory  is  secure." 

11 


162  A  BOLD   STROKE. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  confidence,  gentlemen  ;  but  pray 
let  us  consider  the  question  calmly.  Do  not  lose  sight  of 
our  situation.  It  is  our  duty  to  leave  the  harbor,  but  to 
leave  it  safe  and  sound ;  to  fight,  but  not  to  rush  madly  to 
destruction.  If  our  country  had  a  strong  navy,  it  would 
matter  little  if  we  went  bravely  down  to  our  graves,  so  we 
saved  the  honor  of  our  flag ;  but  at  present  the  Confederacy 
has  a  very  small  fleet,  including  my  little  vessel  and  the 
Alabama,  commanded  by  my  bold  colleague  and  friend, 
Admiral  Semmes.  We  two  together  may  succeed  in  par- 
alyzing the  maritime  commerce  of  the  Yankees,  and  thus 
deal  a  blow  at  their  wealth,  their  sole  power.  The  loss  of 
either  of  us  would  be  a  national  disaster.  Therefore  we 
must  strive  to  get  the  Atlanta  out  of  the  evil  pass  into 
which  we  have  brought  her,  and  that  as  quickly  as  possible. 
The  moment  is  propitious ;  the  enemy  suppose  us  to  be 
asleep.  Let  us  try  to  outwit  their  vigilance.  I  will  return 
on  board;  meantime,  do  you  collect  our  crew  scattered 
through  the  town.  In  an  hour  I  shall  sail,  without  wait- 
ing for  laggards  " ;  and  as  the  officers  sprang  to  their  feet, 
the  captain  added,  in  a  voice  trembling  with  emotion : 
"  Believe  me,  gentlemen,  I  do  great  violence  to  every  feel- 
ing, save  that  of  patriotism,  when  I  resist  my  desire  to 
attack  these  insolent  Yankees.  But  you  understand  me, 
our  first  duty  is  to  save  the  Atlanta.  If  we  must  fight, 
we  will  fight.  Once  more,  gentlemen,  I  drink  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Southern  Confederacy." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  163 

A  final  cheer,  and  the  guests  left  the  room. 

While  Captain  Green,  with  the  cabin  boys  and  the  de- 
serter, hurried  back  to  the  ship,  the  officers  and  boatswains 
searched  the  taverns  of  the  town  and  collected  the  crew. 
An  hour  after,  when  the  roll-call  was  read,  not  a  man  was 
missing.  The  announcement  that  all  laggards  would  be 
left  behind  produced  its  due  effect. 

The  lights  on  the  two  men-of-war,  anchored  across  the 
entrance  to  the  harbor,  were  plainly  visible  in  the  dis- 
tance. The  captain  ordered  all  the  usual  signals  to  be  ex- 
tinguished, and  no  lights  to  be  left  which  could  be  seen 
from  without.  The  engineers  were  ordered  to  put  on  a 
high  pressure  as  quietly  as  possible,  to  avoid  attracting 
attention.  Meantime  Mr.  Evans  cleared  the  decks  for 
action.  The  royals  were  taken  down  and  the  rigging 
stowed  close.  The  gunners  stood  at  their  posts,  the  cannon 
were  loaded,  and  everything  made  ready  for  an  engage- 
ment. 

The  two  cabin  boys  were  everywhere  at  once,  flying  from 
one  end  of  the  ship  to  the  other  carrying  orders,  as  the 
boatswain's  pipe  was  suppressed. 

"  Well,  it 's  getting  hot,"  said  Penguin  to  Daniel,  taking 
advantage  of  a  leisure  moment. 

"  I  thought  the  captain  meant  to  escape  under  cover  of 
night  without  a  fight." 

"  Of  course,  if  he  can ;  but  just  now  I  heard  Mr.  Evans 
tell  the  second  mate  that  we  could  not  possibly  get  away 


164  A   BOLD   STROKE. 

unobserved.  The  two  hostile  ships  are  anchored  on  either 
side  of  the  entrance,  and,  except  by  some  miracle,  we  must 
run  them  down  on  our  way  out." 

"  Very  well,  then  we  will  run  them  down,"  said  Daniel 
confidently. 

The  captain  stationed  hinjself  on  the  bridge,  and  the  two 
boys  hastened  after  him.  All  the  preparations  were  com- 
plete. The  anchors  were  weighed,  and  the  black  mass, 
with  a  slow,  quivering  motion,  glided  silently  forward  over 
the  silent  sea. 

Captain  Green  directed  his  course  straight  towards  the 
enemy.  He  was  within  five  hundred  yards  of  his  foes, 
when  the  sound  of  drums  beating  the  alarm  on  the  Shen- 
andoah  and  instantly  repeated  on  the  "Washington,  told 
him  that  he  was  discovered.  The  brave  captain  bent  down 
to  the  tube  communicating  with  the  engine-room  and 
ordered  the  men  to  crowd  on  all  steam.  The  tall  smoke- 
stacks at  once  vomited  forth  thick  columns  of  smoke  and 
sparks,  and  the  Atlanta  advanced  with  marvellous  speed. 

Was  it  possible  that  Captain  Green  would  thus  hurl  his 
ship  into  the  very  jaws  of  his  terrible  opponents  ?  It  was 
running  upon  sure  destruction.  The  poor  frigate  could 
never  withstand  such  a  cannonade.  So  thought  the  officers 
when  they  saw  the  Atlanta  make  for  the  narrow  channel 
between  the  two  ships. 

Still  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  retreat.  The  frigate 
was  now  directly  between  the  high  walls  of  the  Yankee 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  165 

ships,  bristling  with  cannon.  "  Fire  to  larboard  and  to 
starboard,"  cried  Captain  Green  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  A 
tremendous  volley  shook  the  deck  and  wrapped  it  in  a 
cloud  of  smoke ;  but  the  Atlanta  had  already  slipped  from 
the  grasp  of  her  antagonists,  who,  stupefied  by  the  audacity 
of  this  manoeuvre,  and  surprised  by  the  rapidity  of  her 
movements,  were  too  late  to  reply. 

The  Shenandoah,  contriving  to  get  her  starboard  battery 
free,  sent  a  broadside  after  her,  which  covered  her  deck 
with  shot  and  flame.  The  Washington,  undoubtedly  dis- 
abled, could  only  use  her  bow  chase-guns. 

The  skirmish  was  brief.  Before  the  Yankees  managed 
to  quit  their  anchorage,  the  privateer  gained  a  good  start. 
She  was  covered  with  canvas,  and  when  day  dawned,  had 
so  far  distanced  the  enemy  as  to  be  completely  lost  to 
sight. 

"  How  could  those  idiots  allow  themselves  to  be  so  taken 
by  surprise  ?  "  said  the  captain  to  his  officers.  "  I  thought 
them  smarter  than  that." 

"The  fact  is,  Captain,"  said  Evans,  "your  skill  and 
daring  outwitted  them.  They  could  never  have  dreamed 
that  you  would  make  straight  for  them.  If  you  call  that 
running  away,  it  is  a  most  glorious  flight." 

"  Zounds !  perhaps  you  think  that  T  should  have  noti- 
fied them.  If  I  had  suspected  such  gross  ignorance,  I  be- 
lieve, 'pon  honor,  I  might  have  run  one  of  them  down  before 
they  knew  it.  All  the  same,  it  will  soon  be  too  hot  for  us 


166       •  A   BOLD   STROKE. 

here.  Steer  for  Ascension,  Nichols  "  ;  and  seeing  Daniel  be- 
side him,  he  added :  "  You  stood  to  your  post  bravely,  my 
lad.  We  shall  make  a  man  of  you  yet.  And  now  \ve  are 
gradually  approaching  the  land  of  your  dreams.  A  few 
more  victories  like  this,  and  we  shall  be  in  Australia  or 
Eldorado." 


The  Battle. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   LAST   FIGHT. 

A  FEW  days  after,  the  Atlanta,  proceeding  on  her  south- 
erly course,  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  It  was 
probable  that  the  enemy  had  lost  track  of  her ;  accordingly 
Captain  Green  determined  to  cruise  about  the  Indian  Ocean, 
keeping  well  to  the  south  of  the  Mascarene  Isles.  This 
position  enabled  him  to  command  the  route  to  India,  as 
well  as  that  taken  by  merchantmen  bound  for  China  and 
Australia,  and  also  to  lay  in  provisions  readily  either  at 
Mauritius  or  Reunion. 

Now  that  the  Atlanta  had  entered  these  waters,  Daniel 
could  scarcely  contain  himself  for  joy.  He  knew  that  he  was 


168  THE   LAST  FIGHT. 

still  far  from  Australia ;  but  he  knew  perfectly  well  that  if 
Captain  Green  were  again  obliged  to  fly  from  an  enemy 
stronger  than  himself,  his  only  refuge  would  be  in  the 
Pacific  and  the  vicinity  of  Australia.  Once  there,  nothing 
would  be  easier  than  for  him  to  get  to  Sydney  or  Mel- 
bourne. And  as  if  this  event  were  close  at  hand,  he  con- 
stantly re-read  the  fragment  from  Bastien's  journal,  and 
tried  to  engrave  it  on  his  memory  word  for  word,  in  case 
any  accident  should  snatch  it  from  him. 

His  only  grief  was  caused  by  the  thought  that  he  should 
be  parted  from  Captain  Green  and  perhaps  from  Penguin. 
However,  he  did  not  despair  of  taking  the  young  Cana- 
dian with  him ;  so  he  frequently  returned  to  the  subject 
in  their  many  talks  together. 

"  Do  tell  me,"  said  his  friend  one  day,  "  why  you  are  so 
anxious  to  go  to  Australia. " 

"  I  scarcely  know,"  answered  Daniel,  with  some  embar- 
rassment. "  The  memory  of  Bastien  Moreau's  rapid  acces- 
sion to  fortune  haunts  me.  I  feel  as  if  I  might  be  equally 
lucky  if  I  were  to  try." 

"  But  did  n't  you  tell  me  that  the  poor  miner  suffered 
for  years  and  years  before  he  made  his  fortune,  and  that  it 
was  a  mere  chance  which  enriched  him  ? " 

"  Yes,  but  that  chance  may  come  to  us  too.  Besides,  I 
know  pretty  nearly  the  spot  where  he  found  his  treasure, 
and  that  will  certainly  help  us  somewhat." 

"  Help  us  ?    You  don't  suppose  that  I  shall  ever  leave 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  169 

Captain  Green,  to  go  in  search  of  a  fortune  ?  I  can  readily 
fancy  that  the  perilous  life  which  we  lead  is  not  to  your 
taste,  and  that  you  are  anxious  to  escape  from  it ;  but  it 
seems  to  me  that  it  must  always  be  hard  to  trust  one's 
future  to  a  lucky  chance.  It  is  like  our  sailors,  who  run  to 
some  drinking-saloon  as  soon  as  they  land,  and  gamble 
away  all  their  earnings  in  the  hope  of  winning  a  fortune. 
You  will  waste  your  time  and  wreck  your  future  in  the 
search  for  a  treasure  which  honest  hard  work  would  bring 
you  much  more  surely,  though  slowly.  Enter  the  mer- 
chant service :  when  you  have  made  a  few  voyages,  you 
can  go  home  to  your  father  and  be  happy.  As  for  me, 
here  I  am,  and  here  I  shall  remain." 

"And  if  Captain  Green  gave  you  leave  to  go  with 
me?" 

"  Then  I  might  consider  the  matter,  but  I  shall  never 
ask  him." 

The  Atlanta's  first  achievement  in  her  new  cruising  place 
was  to  capture  a  big  Yankee  clipper,  laden  with  rice, 
which  was  sold  at  Mauritius. 

The  English  authorities  gave  her  a  very  chilly  reception  ; 
still  she  was  allowed  to  take  in  provisions  and  replenish 
her  stock  of  coal 

That  done,  she  again  stood  out  to  sea,  and  cruised  about 
to  the  south  of  Madagascar.  She  had  only  been  there  a 
few  days,  when  the  man  on  the  lookout  signalled  two  ships 
to  the  southwest 


170  THE   LAST   FIGHT. 

The  Atlanta  instantly  made  for  them.  Captain  Green, 
stationed  on  the  bridge,  studied  the  distant  vessels  through 
his  glass,  then  suddenly  let  slip  a  terrible  oath. 

"By  the  mighty  Jingo!"  he  cried,  "here  we  are  run- 
ning ourselves  directly  into  the  wolf's  jaws !  Back  her !  " 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Captain  ? "  asked  Evans,  running 
up  in  surprise  at  the  order,  and  supposing  that  Captain 
Green  had  seen  a  rock  or  a  reef  in  the  ship's  course. 

"  We  have  changed  parts,  and  instead  of  being  chased, 
we  are  chasing  the  Shenandoah  and  the  Washington ;  for, 
as  true  as  I  am  a  loyal  Confederate,  there  are  those  con- 
founded Yankees  straight  before  us." 

"  You  are  right,  Captain ;  I  recognize  them  now.  Which 
course  shall  we  take  ? " 

"  East-southeast,  and  be  quick  about  it" 

The  Atlanta,  instantly  obeying  her  helm,  resumed  her 
course  in  the  required  direction ;  but  this  manoeuvre 
occupied  several  moments,  during  which  the  enemy's  ships 
had  rapidly  gained  ground ;  they  had  also  recognized  the 
Atlanta,  and,  taking  advantage  of  her  mistake,  hurried 
forward  to  stop  her. 

A  cannon-ball  soon  fell  hissing  into  the  sea,  within  a 
few  cables'  length  of  the  privateer.  "  The  dance  is  begin- 
ning," said  the  captain  cheerfully.  "  Come,  boys,  give 
them  as  good  as  they  send." 

The  gunners  immediately  opened  fire. 

"  Spread  every  rag  of  canvas,  Evans.    We  must  put  our" 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  171 

best  foot  foremost  now.     And  see  that  the  engineers  are 
wide  awake." 

At  this  moment  a  shell  from  one  of  the  hostile  ships 
exploded  on  the  deck  a  few  paces  away  from  the  captain, 
fortunately  without  wounding  any  one,  "  Nichols,"  cried 
Captain  Green,  "  superintend  the  howitzers  yourself.  Such 
compliments  must  be  duly  returned." 

Nichols,  a  very  skilful  gunner,  stationed  himself  at  one 
of  the  guns  and  sent  a  shot  rolling  over  the  forward 
deck  of  the  Shenandoah.  It  was  instantly  returned  by  a 
shell  which  cut  in  halves  a  sailor  standing  close  beside 
Daniel. 

This  looked  serious ;  but  the  Atlanta,  her  masts  bending 
under  the  weight  of  sail,  and  getting  up  all  steam,  recov- 
ered her  rate  of  speed,  for  a  moment  retarded.  Little  by 
little,  she  gained  ground  on  the  foe,  and  by  nightfall  was 
out  of  reach.  The  captain  then  assembled  the  officers  and 
held  a  council  of  war. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  it  is  now  very  evident  that  the 
captains  of  the  Shenandoah  and  the  Washington  are 
ordered  to  pursue  us  closely.  Under  these  conditions, 
flight  is  impossible.  Not  that  either  of  these  vessels  can 
compare  with  us  in  speed.  The  Shenandoah  is  a  swift 
sailer ;  the  other  is  a  clumsy,  heavy  old  mud-scow,  dating 
back  to  the  last  century  at  least.  But  if  we  keep  on  run- 
ning from  the  enemy,  we  shall  only  go  round  and  round 
the  world,  and  not  do  much  harm  to  Yankee  commerce. 


172  THE  LAST  FIGHT. 

Besides,  if  our  coal  gives  out,  we  shall  be  blockaded  like 
fools  in  some  neutral  port,  where  we  shall  remain  prisoners 
until  the  end  of  the  war :  for  I  should  scarcely  care  to 
risk  a  repetition  of  the  trick  which  succeeded  at  Las 
Pahnas.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be  sheer  folly  to 
contend  with  such  superior  numbers.  However,  we  must 
shake  off  our  enemies,  or  our  cruiser  is  done  for.  What 
do  you  say,  gentlemen  ? " 

"  We  agree  with  you,  Captain." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Evans,  "  we  may  manage  to  give  them 
the  slip,  and  get  into  waters  where  we  can  work  peacefully 
for  a  while." 

"  I  think  not,"  replied  the  captain.  "  We  have  far  too 
expert  sailors  to  deal  with  —  I  know  them  —  to  hope  to 
deceive  them.  However,  1  will  try  your  plan.  This  very 
night  we  will  change  our  course,  and  proceeding  towards 
the  southwest,  we  will  double  Kerguelen  Land  as  swiftly 
as  may  be.  But  what  shall  we  do  if  the  Yankees  follow 
on  our  tracks  ? " 

"It  is  a  puzzling  case  and  requires  reflection,"  said  the 
mate. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  let  me  tell  you  my  plan :  although 
none  of  us  are  bookworms,  I  am  sure  you  all  remember 
the  battle  between  the  Horatii  and  Curatii.  You  know  that 
at  one  moment,  the  last  of  the  Horatii  found  himself  con- 
tending alone  with  the  three  Curatii ;  only,  while  they 
were  wounded  and  worn  out,  he  was  untouched  and  per- 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  173 

fectly  fresh.  What  did  he  do  ?  He  feigned  flight.  The 
three  brothers,  rushing  after  him,  divided  their  forces,  and 
he,  doubling  in  his  -tracks,  easily  killed  them  singly 
although  he  could  never  have  conquered  them  all  together. 
Do  you  see  now  what  I  want  to  do  ? " 

"  Yes,  Captain,"  said  all  the  officers. 

"  We  will  try  to  keep  near  the  Shenandoah ;  we  will 
lure  her  after  us,  and  when  she  is  alone,  we  will  accept  the 
challenge.  With  God's  help  we  will  triumph.  As  for  the 
Washington,  I  defy  her  to  catch  us." 

During  the  night  the  Atlanta,  by  the  captain's  orders, 
headed  for  the  south,  and  continued  on  that  course  for  two 
days.  On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  the  man  on  the 
lookout  spied  land  on  the  bow. 

"  It  is  Kerguelen  Land,"  said  the  captain,  "  the  last 
land  which  we  shall  find  in  this  direction.  Beyond  this 
sterile  rock,  which  is  only  inhabited  by  penguins,  the 
ocean  stretches,  vast  and  solitary,  to  the  eternal  icebergs  of 
the  South  Pole.  I  hope  that  we  may  not  be  obliged  to 
remain  in  these  waters  long,  for  I  know  no  part  of  the 
globe  where  storms  are  more  frequent  or  more  violent. 
But  I  fancy  that  your  idea  was  correct,  Evans,  and  that 
we  have  thrown  the  enemy  off  our  track ;  for  they  have 
been  looking  for  us  two  days  already,  and  may  be  far 
away." 

"  A  sail  to  the  west-nor'west ! "  cried  the  man  on  the 
lookout. 


174  THE   LAST  FIGHT. 

The  captain  sprang  to  the  bridge  and  scanned  the  hori- 
zon with  his  glass. 

"  My  hopes  were  premature,"  he  said,  "it  is  the  Shen- 
andoah ;  but,  as  I  supposed,  she  is  alone.  The  Washington 
coiild  not  keep  up  with  her.  Evans,  clear  the  decks  for 
action.  We  must  seize  our  opportunity  and  hasten  to 
meet  the  enemy." 

Upon  the  instant,  the  sound  of  the  drum  echoed  through- 
out the  ship.  Every  preparation  was  rapidly  made,  and 
the  men  hurried  to  their  posts. 

"  Quartermaster,  nail  the  Confederate  flag  to  the  main 
peak ! "  shouted  the  captain  as  he  strode  up  and  down  the 
deck.  "  Lads,"  he  said  to  the  crew,  "  show  that  you  are 
not  mere  wreckers.  I  trust  every  man  to  do  his  duty." 

An  hour  after  the  two  ships  were  at  close  quarters,  and 
a  terrific  cannonading  began.  But  the  struggle  was  un- 
equal. The  Shenandoah,  with  her  sixty  guns,  threatened  to 
destroy  the  Atlanta,  which  had  but  a  small  battery.  Cap- 
tain Green  at  once  perceived  this ;  he  accordingly  deter- 
mined to  hurl  his  ship  against  her  formidable  opponent. 

At  the  same  instant  the  broad  sails  of  the  Washington 
rose  above  the  horizon.  The  Yankee  admiral,  attracted  by 
the  sound  of  cannonading,  had  hastened  to  his  companion's 
relief. 

The  corsair  frigate  had  become  badly  injured.  Water 
poured  into  her  hold  at  several  openings.  Some  of  the 
crew  were  at  once  set  to  work  at  the  pumps,  and  succeeded 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  175 

in  stopping  the  flood,  thus  permitting  the  calkers  to  fother 
the  leaks. 

During  the  battle  the  wind  had  risen ;  the  sea  became 
rougher  and  rougher.  It  was  clear  that  a  tempest  was  at 
hand.  At  a  single  glance,  Captain  Green  measured  the 
whole  extent  of  the  dangers  that  threatened  him.  He 
must  escape,  and  at  the  same  time  save  his  ship,  menaced 
by  the  cyclone.  Mounting  the  bridge,  he  addressed  the 
crew  as  follows :  — 

"  My  boys,  a  terrible  enemy  is  about  to  fall  upon  us, 
while  a  tempest  lowers  overhead.  I  regret  to  require  fresh 
exertions  from  you,  but  they  must  ensure  our  success. 
Let  every  man  stand  to  his  post,  and  not  desert  it  until 
the  Atlanta  floats  unrestrained  upon  a  calm  sea." 

"  We  fear  neither  the  Yankees  nor  the  storm,"  replied 
the  men.  "  Three  cheers  for  the  captain  ! " 

While  the  gunners  returned  to  their  guns,  the  sailors 
ran  up  the  rigging ;  and  the  Atlanta  was  soon  covered  with 
canvas  and  scudding  before  a  furious  gale.  Her  engine, 
crowding  on  all  steam,  so  greatly  increased  her  speed  that 
it  was  evident  that  the  enemy  must  be  quickly  left  behind. 
Suddenly  a  fearful  noise  was  heard  in  the  hold,  and  shortly 
after  the  head  engineer  rushed  upon  deck  with  these 
terrible  words :  — 

"  The  horizontal  shaft  is  broken." 

The  horizontal  shaft  is  the  very  soul  of  a  screw  engine  ; 
without  it,  the  engine,  with  its  furnaces,  boilers  and  pistons, 


176  THE   LAST   FIGHT. 

is  but  a  useless  mass,  only  fit  to  throw  overboard.  It  is 
a  delicate  and  difficult  operation  to  repair  the  huge  steel 
beam,  which  is  sometimes  ninety  feet  long,  and  is  seldom 
attempted  even  under  favorable  circumstances  ;  but  in  the 
midst  of  an  elemental  storm,  it  was  not  even  to  be  thought 
of.  The  Atlanta  was  now  entirely  dependent  on  her  sails. 

On  hearing  the  fatal  news,  the  captain  could  not  repress 
a  cry  of  horror,  but  his  discouragement  scarcely  lasted  a 
second.  The  storm  was  now  so  awful  that,  in  ordinary 
circumstances,  it  would  be  the  captain's  duty  to  reef  every 
sail :  Captain  Green,  on  the  contrary,  ordered  his  men  to 
spread  every  rag  of  canvas. 

Nevertheless,  the  Washington  was  gaining  on  them  fast. 
She  soon  began  to  rain  shot  into  the  Atlanta,  which 
responded  vigorously,  still  continuing  her  flight. 

Captain  Green  had  now  but  one  hope  left,  and  that  was 
to  hold  out  until  night,  which  was  approaching  rapidly. 
One  hour  more,  and  darkness  would  shield  the  Atlanta 
from  the  attack  of  her  dreaded  foe. 

The  storm  had  now  reached  its  height,  and  it  was  at 
once  an  awful  and  a  sublime  spectacle  to  see  how  the  crews 
of  the  vessels  forgot  the  dangers  which  surrounded  them, 
in  their  mutual  hatred.  The  cannon,  vomiting  fire  and 
flame,  mingled  their  deep  growls  with  the  roar  of  the  tem- 
pest, dealing  death  to  the  ships. 

The  Atlanta,  weighed  down  by  the  water  which  filled 
her  hold,  scarcely  floated  above  the  billows.  Her  tall  masts 


"The  Atlanta  burst  into  a  vast  jet  of  flame."  — Page  179. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  179 

had  been  carried  away  by  the  wind ;  her  shrouds  hung 
torn  to  ribbons.  The  waves  washed  the  deck  at  every 
moment,  and  threatened  to  make  it  untenable. 

The  captain,  covered  with  blood  which  gushed  from  a 
wound  made  by  a  bursting  shell,  was  lashed  to  his  post. 
The  two  brave  cabin  boys,  Daniel  and  Penguin,  had  imi- 
tated his  example.  Fastened  by  ropes  to  the  rounds  of  the 
ladder  leading  to  the  spar-deck,  amidst  a  rain  of  shot  and 
shell,  they  still  transmitted  the  captain's  orders  to  the 
gunners. 

At  last  the  sky,  already  overcast  by  the  tempest,  grew 
darker  and  darker.  Night  fell.  To  the  Atlanta  it  meant 
safety. 

The  Washington,  herself  disabled,  her  masts  sprung,  and 
leaking  at  every  seam,  felt  that  her  prey  was  slipping  from 
her  grasp.  Making  a  final  effort,  she  contrived  to  get 
abreast  the  Atlanta,  and,  with  a  last  broadside,  wrapped  her 
in  a  cloud  of  smoke  and  flame. 

It  was  too  much  for  the  poor  frigate ;  a  ball  had  pierced 
her  heart.  Quivering  in  every  limb,  she  seemed  about  to 
sink,  when  a  terrible  shock  upheaved  her  deck,  and  the 
Atlanta  burst  into  a  vast  jet  of  flame  as  she  went  down. 

The  wind  howled  furiously,  and  the  waves  surged  high 
as  if  to  destroy  their  victims  more  completely,  and  soon 
nothing  was  left  but  a  few  shapeless  fragments,  floating 
amidst  the  foam. 


"  He  gazed  about  him." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   WRECK. 

THE  sun  rose  clear  and  glorious,  over  the  vast  Indian 
Ocean,  whose  waves,  still  agitated  by  the  storm  of  the  pre- 
ceding night,  tossed  and  heaved  wildly.  Nothing  was  to 
be  seen  upon  the  vast  liquid  expanse.  The  whirlpool  had 
swallowed  the  prey  tossed  to  it  by  the  fratricidal  rage  of 
the  combatants. 

Clouds  of  sea-birds  skimmed  the  crest  of  the  waves, 
while  albatrosses,  the  vultures  of  the  ocean,  circled  high 
above.  Their  piercing  eyes  perceived  the  bodies  of  the 
victims,  which  a  strong  current  had  sucked  away  from 
shore,  towards  antipodal  lands.  The  carrion  birds  made 
ready  for  a  feast. 

From  time  to  time  some  fragment  was  washed  to  the 
top  of  a  wave,  some  plank,  mast,  or  sheathing.  Then  a 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  181 

larger  timber  emerged,  like  a  great  raft.  Had  some  of  the 
castaways  succeeded  in  collecting  the  jetsam  and  fiotsam 
and  escaped  from  the  awful  catastrophe  ?  No,  it  was  no 
raft ;  if  the  poor  captain  could  speak,  he  would  recognize  the 
deck  of  the  Atlanta.  The  terrible  explosion  carried  away 
the  whole  forward  part  of  the  frigate ;  but  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  stern  withstood  it,  and  buoyed  up,  undoubtedly 
by  one  of  the  bulkheads,  floated  on  the  waves,  swimming 
with  the  current. 

This  wreck  would  have  sufficed  to  save  at  least  half  a 
dozen  men.  Several  sailors  still  lay  stretched  upon  it ;  but 
they  were  only  corpses,  bound  fast  to  the  deck.  The  al- 
batrosses swooped  downwards  and  feasted  on  their  flesh. 

There  lay  poor  Captain  Green,  dead  at  his  post.  Per- 
haps he  did  not  survive  to  witness  the  final  catastrophe, 
for  a  large  wound  gaped  in  his  breast. 

Not  far  off  were  the  two  cabin  boys.  The  unfortunate  chil- 
dren, —  Death  took  them  unawares,  but  not  so  soon  that 
they  did  not  see  the  shadow  of  his  wings.  Still  clasped  in 
each  other's  arms,  they  seemed  to  have  exchanged  a  last 
farewell  on  the  threshold  of  eternity. 

Poor  Penguin,  you  have  left  the  life  which  had  so  few 
charms  for  you !  Poor  Daniel,  your  spirit  has  flown  to  a 
land  where  there  are  no  more  dreams ! 

They  looked  as  if  sleeping,  as  they  lay  there  together. 
The  sun  shone  upon  their  pale  brows,  while  the  breeze  flut- 
tered their  light  curls. 


182  THE   WRECK. 

A  shadow  passed  rapidly  over  them.  An  albatross,  al- 
ready almost  sated,  had  spied  the  young  Canadian.  It 
advanced  cautiously  and  suspiciously ;  its  sharp,  crooked 
beak  struck  the  bare  shoulder,  and  a  little  stream  of  blood 
trickled  from  it.  The  arm  moved  convulsively,  and  the 
bird  flew  off  in  a  fright. 

Probably  the  roll  of  the  sea  had  stirred  the  boy's  body. 
But  no :  the  head  is  lifted,  the  eyes  open.  Penguin  looks 
up  into  the  blue  sky ;  scarcely  restored  to  life,  he  wonders 
if  he  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  if  it  is  not  the  azure 
waves  that  dance  and  shimmer  over  head. 

At  last,  raising  himself  on  his  arm,  he  gazed  about  him. 
Was  it  a  dream  ?  He  saw  Daniel  stretched  beside  him, 
and,  a  little  farther  off,  the  captain.  He  remembered  all,  — 
the  fight,  the  explosion.  How  did  he  escape  the  general 
disaster  ?  Why  was  not  he  dead  like  the  rest  ?  But  per- 
haps those  who  lay  stretched  about  him  were  saved,  as  he 
was.  He  might  be  able  to  rouse  them  from  their  slumbers, 
to  recall  them  to  life. 

With  feverish  haste  he  loosed  the  cord  which  bound  him 
and  which  had  saved  him  from  the  devouring  waves.  He 
rose  to  his  feet.  At  the  sight,  thousands  of  birds,  hovering 
over  the  wreck,  took  to  flight,  uttering  piercing  cries,  and, 
regretting  their  interrupted  meal,  circled  restlessly  above. 

Penguin  stood  one  moment  in  indecision  between  Daniel 
and  Captain  Green ;  but  gratitude  triumphed  over  friend- 
ship. With  trembling  steps  he  ran  to  the  captain  and 


"The  soul  of  the  gallant  sailor  had  escaped."  —  Page  185. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  185 

knelt  beside  him.  Alas  !  all  hope  was  vain.  The  soul  of 
the  gallant  sailor  had  escaped  through  the  gaping  wound, 
and  the  cabin  boy  clasped  in  his  arms  nought  but  a  lifeless 
body,  already  stiffened  by  death.  The  boy  knelt  silently, 
gazing  into  the  kind  and  loyal  face  ;  he  thought  of  all  that 
he  owed  to  this  generous  protector,  who  had  never  given 
him  any  but  lessons  of  honesty  and  truth,  who  had  taken 
the  place  of  the  father,  removed  from  him  by  the  hand  of 
Providence.  Once  more  he  was  alone  in  the  world. 

And  Daniel !  At  this  thought  Penguin  sprang  to  his  feet 
and  hastened  towards  his  comrade.  His  body  was  cold, 
but  bore  no  trace  of  any  wound.  The  boy  put  his  ear  to 
the  young  Frenchman's  breast ;  he  fancied  that  he  heard 
a  faint  throb.  With  an  eager,  trembling  hand,  he  untied 
the  ropes  which  bound  his  friend  ;  he  pressed  him  in  his 
arms  and  warmed  him  as  well  as  he  could.  Soon  the  lifeless 
body  grew  more  supple ;  the  lips  opened,  and  a  faint  sigh 
escaped ;  the  eyes  opened,  glazed  and  expressionless  at  first, 
but  soon  full  of  life. 

"  Martial !  "  murmured  Daniel. 

"  Yes,  it  is  I ! "  cried  Penguin.  "  Wake  up,  we  are 
saved." 

"  Saved  ?  Oh  !  yes,  I  remember  now.  Was  I  wounded 
then  ? " 

"  No,  indeed.  You  are  safe  and  sound  with  me,  your 
friend." 

The  young  French  boy  looked  about  him.     His  comrade 


186  THE   WRECK. 

had  some  difficulty  in  making  him  understand  what  had 
happened,  —  how,  plunged  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  when 
the  explosion  occurred,  they  were  brought  to  the  surface 
again  with  the  floating  deck ;  how  the  ropes  that  fastened 
them  had  preserved  them  all  night  from  the  fury  of  the 
waves. 

"  Then  we  are  alone,  adrift  in  mid-ocean  on  this  wreck  ? " 
asked  Daniel. 

"  Alas,  yes !  All  our  companions  are  dead." 

"  And  Captain  Green  ? " 

•  He  too.  Look  at  him.  Our  first  duty  is  to  repeat  a 
prayer  over  his  body,  and  to  entrust  it  to  the  sea,  which 
shall  be  his  tomb ;  for  otherwise  birds  of  prey  would  soon 
dispute  with  us  for  him." 

The  two  boys  turned  towards  their  captain,  and,  kneeling 
beside  him,  uttered  a  prayer  for  him  whom  they  loved  and 
respected  so  deeply.  Then  they  cast  his  body  into  the  sea, 
and  saw  it  vanish  in  the  watery  depths. 

They  were  forced  to  perform  the  same  melancholy  task 
for  those  of  the  sailors  who  lay  on  the  deck,  principally 
gunners  who  had  served  at  the  guns  until  the  last  mo- 
ment. 

This  pious  duty  done,  the  two  lads  cast  a  sad  look  hito 
each  other's  eyes  ;  then,  moved  by  a  similar  emotion,  they 
fell  into  one  another's  arms  and  burst  into  tears. 

What  was  to  become  of  them  on  this  fragment  of  a  ship, 
scarcely  raised  above  the  water  ?  Might  not  the  air-tight 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  187 

compartment  which  buoyed  them  up,  sink  into  the  abyss  in 
its  turn,  at  any  moment  ? 

On  this  solitary  sea,  frequented  only  by  occasional 
whalers,  the  poor  castaways  could  not  look  for  help.  They 
were  therefore  condemned  to  die  of  starvation,  for  they 
had  no  food.  The  portion  of  the  ship  beneath  their  feet 
was  filled  with  water,  so  that  there  was  no  hope  there. 

They  did  not  speak,  but  each  silently  considered  all  the 
horrors  of  their  situation. 

"  It  would  have  been  a  hundred  times  better  to  have 
gone  down  with  the  Atlanta,"  said  Daniel  at  last.  "  Death 
has  only  spared  us  to  prolong  our  agony.  What  is  the  use 
of  living,  since  we  are  condemned  to  die  a  wretched  death 
of  hunger  and  thirst  ? " 

"  Why  despair  ? "  replied  Penguin.  "  He  who  saved  us 
will  yet  come  to  our  aid.  Besides,  you  can  always  eat  me." 

"  How  can  you  have  the  heart  to  joke  at  such  a  time  ? " 
said  Daniel  reproachfully. 

"  It  is  always  better  to  rise  above  adversity,  and  gayety 
is  sometimes  one  of  the  best  assistants.  But  I  was  not 
joking.  You  are  stronger  than  I,  you  have  therefore  more 
chance  of  surviving.  In  that  case,  I  don't  see  why  you 
should  not  eat  me,  —  it  would  not  be  the  first  time  that  a 
shipwrecked  man  has  eaten  his  comrade,  —  unless  you 
think  me  too  thin  ! " 

"  Yes,  that  is  so,"  said  Daniel,  who  could  not  help  laugh- 
ing. "  And  as  our  regular  meals  don't  seem  likely  to 


188  THE   WRECK. 

fatten  you,  I  think  I  should  be  more  appetizing,  and  that 
you  had  better  eat  me."  Then,  quickly  becoming  serious 
again :  "  It  does  not  seem  to  me  right  to  jest  at  such  a 
time.  Do  you  know,  I  am  dying  of  thirst ;  if  I  had  some- 
thing to  drink,  I  believe  that  I  could  go  several  days  with- 
out eating." 

"  There  is  no  lack  of  water,"  said  Penguin.  "  Unluckily, 
it  is  very  salt  But  let  us  try  it ;  it  may  be  better  than 
none." 

The  boys  rushed  to  the  hatch,  which,  being  open,  formed 
a  perfect  well,  tilled  with  water  to  the  level  of  the  deck. 
They  scooped  up  a  little  sea-water  in  their  hands ;  but  the 
salt  dose  only  increased  their  thirst  and  made  their  lips 
smart  sadly. 

Despair  was  again  about  to  take  possession  of  them, 
when  Penguin,  leaning  over  the  hole,  fixed  his  eye  upon 
something  floating  below. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  he  said  at  last,  "  as  if  I  saw  some- 
thing stirring  down  below." 

A  violent  movement  of  the  wreck  brought  the  article 
close  to  the  opening.  Daniel  uttered  a  cry  of  joy. 

"  It  is  a  barrel ! "  he  exclaimed. 

After  many  fruitless  efforts,  they  succeeded  in  getting 
hold  of  the  barrel  and  hoisting  it  on  deck.  They  started 
the  bung.  The  little  cask  was  full  of  brandy.  They  drank 
a  mouthful,  which  did  them  a  great  deal  of  good. 

"  This  barrel,"  said  Penguin,  "  may  be  our  salvation  or 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  189 

our  ruin,  according  as  we  choose  to  use  it.  It  is  certain 
that  the  brandy  which  it  contains,  taken  in  small  quanti- 
ties, will  quench  our  thirst  and  restore  our  strength.  But 
if  we  find  nothing  else  that  is  drinkable,  and  use  this  too 
frequently,  it  will  deprive  us  of  our  reason  and  soon  kill 
us.  How  unfortunate  that  we  have  no  water ! " 

Daniel  only  listened  with  half  an  ear  to  his  friend's 
wise  reflection.  He  was  gazing  attentively  into  the  gaping 
hole  at  their  feet. 

"  Do  you  know  what  part  of  the  vessel  this  hatchway 
opens  into  ? "  he  finally  asked. 

"  Of  course ;  into  the  steward's  pantry." 

"  Very  well ;  in  that  case,  we  ought  to  find,  not  only 
water,  but  provisions  there." 

"  Not  the  water  that  we  want,"  said  Penguin,  "  for  the 
sea  has  made  itself  quite  at  home  there." 

"  Yes,  but  don't  you  remember  that  the  store-room  open- 
ing out  of  the  steward's  pantry  contained  several  hogs- 
heads of  fresh  water,  tightly  closed  ?  I  have  often  noticed 
them,  and  the  water  taken  from  them  for  the  officers' 
table  was  much  better  than  that  distilled  by  machin- 
ery." 

"  You  are  right ;  but  how  can  we  get  at  it  ? " 

"  We  will  soon  see,"  said  Daniel. 

They  both  began  to  walk  the  deck  as  if  they  expected 
to  find  some  solution  of  the  puzzle  in  this  way. 

Suddenly   Penguin  stopped  at  the   stern,  and   closely 


190  THE   WRECK. 

examined  a  leaden  plate  imbedded  in  the  deck,  just  under 
the  steering  wheel. 

"  I  have  hit  it,"  he  said,  after  a  few  moments'  hesitation. 
"  Have  you  your  knife  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  it  was  fastened  to  my  belt." 

"  Good !  I  have  mine  too.  They  will  answer  to  dig  away 
this  plate,  and  cut  it  into  pieces." 

"  What  for  ? "  said  Daniel  in  surprise. 

"  I  will  tell  you.  To  get  into  the  steward's  pantry,  we 
must  dive  into  the  water  that  fills  the  space  between 
decks.  That  is  easy  enough,  but  neither  of  us  is  a  suffi- 
ciently skilful  swimmer  to  hold  himself  at  the  bottom  of 
the  water  while  he  works.  So  this  is  what  we  must  do : 
We  will  cut  this  lead  plate  into  two  pieces  and  make  two 
rolls  of  it.  I  will  fasten  one  of  them  to  each  foot,  and 
that  will  keep  me  down  without  any  trouble." 

"  But  you  will  be  drowned,"  cried  Daniel 

"  Wait  a  bit.  We  will  fasten  a  strip  of  wood,  torn  from 
the  bulwarks,  across  the  hatchway ;  to  this  strip  we  will 
tie  a  strong  rope,  —  there  are  plenty  of  them  about  the 
deck,  —  and  I  will  tie  this  rope  under  my  arms.  I  will 
let  myself  drop  into  the  water,  and  you  can  pull  me  up 
when  I  am  ready." 

"  How  shall  I  know  when  to  pull  ? " 

"  Well,  I  will  fasten  a  string  to  my  arm,  and  you  must 
twist  the  other  end  round  your  wrist.  When  I  want  to 
come  up,  I  will  pull  the  string,  just  as  rich  ladies  do  when 
they  want  their  coachman  to  stop." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  191 

"  Oh,  how  clever  you  are,  my  dear  Martial !  "  exclaimed 
Daniel.  "  I  could  never  have  arranged  it  all  so  well" 

The  two  boys  instantly  set  to  work  to  carry  out  their 
scheme.  They  dug  away  the  piece  of  lead  with  their 
knives ;  wrenched  off  a  strip  of  wood,  to  which  they  tied  a 
rope ;  then,  following  out  his  programme  exactly,  the 
brave  Canadian,  with  his  friend's  help,  dropped  into  the 
water.  It-  was  with  great  distress  that  Daniel  saw  him 
disappear.  A  few  moments  after,  feeling  a  twitch  at  the 
string  fastened  to  his  wrist,  he  hauled  stoutly,  saw  Pen- 
guin appear,  and  dragged  him  upon  deck. 

"  It  is  suffocating  down  there,"  said  he.  "  It  took  me  a 
long  while  to  find  the  door  of  the  pantry,  but  I  know  now 
where  it  is.  Let  me  rest  a  moment,  and  I  will  dive  again. 
The  key  is  in  the  door." 

After  taking  breath  he  plunged  back  through  the  hatch- 
way, and  was  again  drawn  up  a  few  minutes  later  by 
Daniel. 

"  I  have  opened  the  door,"  said  he.  "  It  was  all  that  I 
was  able  to  do,  and,  indeed,  I  greatly  feared  I  should  not 
manage  it.  The  water  kept  it  so  tightly  closed  that,  even 
when  the  key  was  turned,  the  door  would  not  stir. 
At  last,  putting  my  shoulder  to  the  door,  I  forced  it 
open." 

"  I  will  take  your  place  now,"  said  Daniel.  "  You  will 
be  perfectly  exhausted,  and  then  you  won't  be  able  to  stay 
under  water  long  enough  to  accomplish  anything." 


192  THE   WRECtf. 

"No,  no,"  was  the  quick  response,  "I  will  make  one 
more  descent ;  then  it  will  be  your  turn." 

And,  without  further  delay,  he  dived  anew. 

A  few  moments  later  he  reappeared,  triumphant. 

"  I  Ve  got  something,"  he  shouted. 

This  something  proved  to  be  a  ham,  carefully  wrapped 
in  tinfoil.  The  salt  water  had  not  hurt  it  in  the  least,  and 
our  two  friends  instantly  made  a  valiant  attack  upon  the 
dainty  food.  A  swallow  of  brandy  completed  the  repast, 
which  seemed  to  them  delicious. 

"  Now  you  see,"  said  Penguin,  "  that  you  should  never 
doubt  Providence.  I  think  that  God  is  too  good  to  have 
snatched  us  from  the  clutch  of  death,  merely  to  prolong 
our  agony." 

Daniel,  fastening  the  weights  to  his  feet,  and  the  rope 
round  his  waist,  made  three  submarine  journeys  to  the 
store-room,  and  brought  up  several  precious  articles,  —  a 
box  of  sardines,  another  ham,  and  a  bottle  of  wine.  They 
at  once  knocked  off  the  neck  of  the  latter,  and  drank  to 
the  memory  of  Captain  Green. 

Then,  having  carefully  stored  their  provisions  on  deck, 
so  that  the  roll  of  the  sea  should  not  throw  them  into  the 
water,  the  two  friends  lay  down  side  by  side,  and  fell 
asleep  beneath  the  radiant  light  of  the  stars,  but  not  with- 
out renewed  thanks  to  the  hand  which  had  so  manifestly 
protected  them. 


"The  barrel  was  hoisted  to  the  deck." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   END   OF   THE   ATLANTA. 

THE  night  was  calm  and  the  young  castaways  did  not 
wake  until  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  touched  their  eyes. 
Sleep  had  restored  their  strength.  They  felt  fresh  and 
well ;  so,  after  a  warm  embrace,  they  immediately  resumed 
the  work  of  the  previous  day. 

Each  dived  into  the  hold  in  turn,  and  they  had  soon 
accumulated  a  considerable  quantity  of  provisions  on  deck. 

"  We  have  enough  food  for  a  fortnight,"  said  Penguin, 

13 


194  THE   END   OF  THE   ATLANTA. 

"  and  if  we  continue  to  float  with  the  current,  we  must 
finally  strike  land.  We  shall  certainly  be  saved." 

"  God  grant  that  it  may  be  soon !  for  the  first  tempest 
would  destroy  us,"  replied  Daniel.  "  Our  raft  floats  too  low 
to  resist  very  strong  breakers.  Where  do  you  suppose 
that  we  shall  land  ? " 

"  I  scarcely  know.  I  think  the  current  flows  easterly 
or  northeasterly,  but  I  have  no  idea  where  we  were  when 
the  Atlanta  blew  up ;  and  yet  I  seem  to  remember  that 
the  last  observation  was  taken  to  the  northeast  of  Ker- 
guelen  Land.  I  also  heard  Mr.  Evans  say  that  if  we 
escaped  from  the  Yankees,  we  would  steer  for  Sumatra. 
If  we  had  a  map,  although  I  am  not  much  of  a  sailoi,  I 
might  be  able  to  find  out  which  way  we  are  going.  At 
any  rate,  we  are  in  God's  keeping." 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "  that  is  our  only  hope.  We  shall 
probably  sight  land  before  long.  See  how  strong  the  cur- 
rent is.  The  fragments  of  the  wreck,  floating  about  us, 
spin  round  as  if  they  were  in  a  whirlpool." 

"  There  are  currents  in  the  sea  which  move  as  swiftly  as 
any  river,"  returned  the  Canadian.  "  If  you  had  made  a 
voyage  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States,  as  I 
have,  you  would  know  that.  The  captain  often  showed 
me  the  great  Gulf  Stream,  which  is  a  regular  river,  rising 
in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  traversing  the  ocean,  without 
ever  mingling  its  waters  with  it.  It  is  always  warm  in 
the  midst  of  the  icy  sea." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  195 

Although  food  was  now  plenty,  they  had  not  a  drop  of 
drinking  water.  They  had,  indeed,  extracted  several  bottles 
of  wine  from  the  pantry,  but  they  greatly  preferred  water, 
and  bent  all  their  efforts  to  getting  out  one  of  the  casks 
stored  below.  This  was  no  easy  task,  for  it  cost  them 
several  days  of  hard  work.  With  an  axe  which  he  found 
in  the  pantry,  Penguin  first  managed  to  stave  in  the  door  of 
the  store-room,  which  was  swollen  by  the  water;  then 
diving  in  turn,  the  two  boys  succeeded  in  rolling  the 
heavy  hogshead  over  the  floor  until  it  was  just  under  the 
hatch.  This  result  was  achieved  with  so  much  effort  that 
they  postponed  the  rest  of  the  performance  until  next 
day. 

It  proved  to  be  a  mere  trifle,  however.  Ropes  were 
fastened  round  the  barrel,  and  it  was  hoisted  to  the  deck, 
where  its  appearance  was  hailed  with  a  shout  of  joy. 
Armed  with  their  knives,  they  hastily  started  the  bung, 
and  swallowed  a  mouthful  of  the  longed-for  liquid.  Alas  ! 
the  water  was  thoroughly  brackish :  the  sea- water  had 
entered  the  pores  of  the  wood  and  mixed  with  the  contents. 

"  What  a  shame !  "  cried  Daniel,  spitting  it  out  with  dis- 
gust. "  Fancy !  we  have  wasted  five  days  in  getting  at 
that  confounded  cask,  which  is  only  fit  to  be  thrown  over- 
board." 

"  Never  mind !  "  said  the  philosophical  Penguin.  "  We 
can  drink  wine,  and  it  won't  kill  us.  How  many  people 
there  are  who  grumble  because  they  are  obliged  to  drink 


196  THE   END   OF  THE   ATLANTA. 

water !  And  then  this  cask  has  been  of  some  service,  for 
at  least  it  has  taken  up  our  time,  which  would  have  hung 
very  heavily  on  our  hands  if  we  had  had  nothing  to  do." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that  you  are  always  contented.  I  never 
saw  such  a  fellow,"  said  the  French  boy. 

"  What 's  the  use  of  complaining  about  a  thing  that 
can't  be  helped  ?  The  worst  of  the  matter  is,  that  when 
I  went  down  this  morning  to  arrange  the  ropes  around 
the  barrel,  I  noticed  that  there  were  only  two  bottles  of 
wine  left.  That  makes  eight  bottles  in  all,  with  the  six 
that  we  have  up  here.  Luckily,  we  have  still  plenty  of 
brandy,  and  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions." 

Still,  that  very  day,  on  taking  a  trip  below,  Daniel 
could  only  find  one  unopened  box  of  canned  meat.  It 
soon  became  clear  that  the  rest  of  the  food  was  injured  by 
salt  water.  They  were  accordingly  forced  to  put  them- 
selves on  rations.  Penguin  decided  that  they  could  not 
afford  more  than  two  scant  meals  a  day,  washed  down  by 
half  a  glass  of  wine. 

The  wreck  still  advanced  quite  regularly.  After  drifting 
towards  the  east,  it  took  a  southeasterly  course,  which 
somewhat  alarmed  the  castaways,  who  feared  lest  they 
should  be  carried  towards  the  frozen  regions  of  the  South 
Pole.  Two  or  three  times,  too,  the  floating  deck,  seized  by 
contrary  currents,  spun  about  as  if  it  would  instantly  be 
sucked  into  the  abyss.  In  short,  it  was  very  evident  that 
their  temporary  shelter  could  not  resist  the  shock  of  the 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  197 

waves  much  longer.  Portions  were  washed  away  every 
day,  and  the  main  body,  immersed  in  the  water,  was  rapidly 
breaking  up. 

"  I  really  don't  understand  how  it  is  that  we  have  kept 
afloat  so  long,"  said  Penguin  one  day.  "  It  seems  to 
me  as  if  our  raft  were  far  too  heavy  to  swim  so  persist- 
ently." 

"I  am  surprised  at  it  myself,"  replied  Daniel.  "And 
yet  I  once  heard  the  captain  say  that  if  the  Atlanta  were 
cut  in  halves,  the  separate  pieces  would  be  perfectly  sea- 
worthy. He  explained  that  besides  the  air-tight  compart- 
ments into  which  the  hold  was  divided,  the  frigate  had 
also  iron  partitions,  into  which,  in  case  of  danger,  air 
could  be  pumped  by  the  engine,  so  as  to  keep  the  ship 
afloat,  even  if  it  were  full  of  water." 

"Undoubtedly  that  is  it,"  concluded  the  Canadian. 
"  Just  before  the  battle  the  captain  must  have  had  these 
partitions  filled ;  and  we  owe  our  safety  to  the  fact  that 
the  explosion  spared  those  situated  in  this  part  of  the 
vessel." 

Now  that  the  castaways  had  no  longer  the  resource  of 
submarine  journeys  into  the  store-room,  their  days  seemed 
endless.  Their  faith  began  to  waver,  and  they  lived  in 
constant  dread  of  approaching  evil.  If  land  were  not 
near  at  hand  and  if  the  weather  turned  bad,  they  must 
inevitably  perish. 

In  vain  they  scanned  the  horizon  until  the  last  ray  of 


198  THE  END  OF  THE  ATLANTA. 

daylight  vanished,  hoping  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  longed- 
for  shore.  Night  fell,  and  their  position  was  unchanged, 
and  they  sadly  lay  down  to  sleep  on  the  deck. 

For  three  weeks  they  were  thus  tossed  at  the  mercy  of 
the  waves.  They  had  but  a  few  swallows  of  wine  left. 
Soon  nothing  would  remain  for  them  but  to  die,  —  to  die  a 
horrible,  a  fearful  death,  coming  upon  them  by  slow  degrees, 
when  hunger  and  thirst  should  have  deprived  them  both 
of  all  power  of  resistance,  either  bodily  or  mental.  Daniel 
already  gave  himself  up  to  despair ;  Penguin,  more  inured 
to  suffering,  was  determined  to  struggle  manfully  to  the 
last. 

One  day,  as  they  were  mournfully  eating  one  of  their  last 
meals,  a  very  meagre  repast,  composed  of  a  bit  of  cracker 
and  a  morsel  of  bacon,  they  saw  a  flock  of  small  birds  fly- 
ing northwards  over  their  heads,  and  this  sight  increased 
their  melancholy,  for  these  birds  were  probably  flying 
towards  land,  and  consequently  the  wreck  was  moving 
steadily  away  from  it. 

A  few  hours  after,  the  castaways  had  a  moment  of 
intense  excitement.  A  dim  shadow  suddenly  appeared  be- 
fore them  to  the  southeast,  —  land,  then,  lay  in  that  direc- 
tion, straight  before  them.  But  soon  the  shadow  grew 
more  distinct,  rose  higher,  and  proved  to  be  a  heavy  bank 
of  clouds,  which  rapidly  overspread  the  sky.  It  was  not 
land,  and  a  storm  was  at  hand. 

The  wind  began  to  howl,  the  waves  heaved  and  tossed, 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  199 

and  a  torrent  of  rain,  accompanied  with  claps  of  thunder, 
announced  the  approach  of  a  hurricane. 

Whirling  on  its  own  axis,  plunging  into  the  trough  of 
the  waves  to  reappear  upon  the  topmost  crest,  the  wreck 
was  flung  hither  and  thither  by  the  furious  sea.  Clinging 
to  the  bulwarks,  the  poor  boys  huddled  together,  expecting 
every  moment  to  be  their  last. 

Night  came,  dark  and  gloomy,  adding  to  the  horror  of 
their  situation. 

Suddenly  the  wreck  seemed  to  receive  a  yet  more  fear- 
ful shock  than  any  previous  one ;  a  dull,  cracking  sound 
was  heard,  the  deck  split  open  beneath  their  feet,  the 
waves  overwhelmed  the  wretched  castaways,  who,  expect- 
ing to  go  down,  exchanged  a  tender  farewell 

But  no,  their  hour  had  not  come.  The  gulf  refused  its 
prey,  now  held  fast  and  motionless  by  a  mysterious 
force. 

"  We  are  on  shore !  "  cried  Penguin. 

But  a  livid  flash  of  lightning,  illuminating  the  dark- 
ness, revealed  nought  save  the  vast  and  implacable  sea 
stretching  on  every  hand. 

The  billows  now  madly  attacked  the  wreck,  which  had 
probably  struck  on  some  unseen  rock.  Unable  to  swallow 
it  whole,  they  strove  to  devour  it  piecemeal,  tearing  large 
fragments  from  it  at  every  onslaught.  The  poor  boys 
clung  to  it  with  the  utmost  difficulty,  being  almost  con- 
stantly under  water,  and  deafened  with  the  roar  of  the  surf. 


200  THE   END   OF   THE   ATLANTA. 

At  last,  after  an  apparently  endless  night,  during  which 
the  wretched  lads  experienced  all  the  agonies  of  death  a 
hundred  times  over,  the  sky  grew  brighter,  the  storm  died 
away  with  a  low  growl,  driven  thence  by  the  victorious  sun, 
whose  rays  restored  some  hope  to  the  breasts  of  the  cast- 
aways. Both  uttered  a  shout  of  joy.  A  mile  to  the  north- 
ward lay  a  bare  and  rocky  coast,  bathed  in  sunlight.  The 
wreck  had  been  washed  upon  a  coral  reef  which  bor- 
dered the  shore.  While  the  sea  was  still  lashed  to  a 
fury  outside,  beyond  this  natural  dyke  it  lay  calm  and 
peaceful 

"  We  are  saved !  "  cried  Penguin,  clasping  Daniel  in  his 
arms. 

"  Land ! "  exclaimed  Daniel  "  I  never  saw  anything  so 
lovely!" 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  replied  the  Canadian ;  "  but 
we  must  get  off  this  ugly  reef,  which  stopped  our  progress, 
as  fast  as  we  can.  How  are  we  going  to  reach  shore  ? " 

"  By  swimming. " 

"  It 's  a  long  way  off." 

"  Oh !  I  have  often  swum  quite  as  far." 

"  Yes,"  said  Penguin ;  "  but  we  have  been  living  on 
short  rations  for  several  days,  and  we  may  not  be  able  to 
hold  out." 

"  Necessity  will  double  our  strength." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that.  But  at  any  rate,  I  have  a 
suggestion  to  make,  which  may  help  us  out  of  the  difficulty. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  201 

You  know  our  beloved  cask,  which  we  had  such  trouble 
to  hoist  out  of  the  store-room  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "  it  is  still  here.  The  storm  did  not 
succeed  in  loosing  the  ropes  with  which  we  bound  it  to  the 
bulwarks." 

"  That  is  very  fortunate,  as  it  contains  all  our  tools  and 
the  few  provisions  left  to  us.  Moreover,  I  intend  that  it 
shall  serve  to  carry  us  to  land.  We  will  put  our  clothes 
into  it,  as  we  can  swim  better  without  them.  Then  we 
will  push  it  along  in  front  of  us,  and  from  time  to  time, 
we  can  catch  hold  and  rest  against  it." 

This  plan  was  approved  and  quickly  carried  out.  The 
boys  took  off  their  clothes  and  stowed  them  away  in  the 
empty  cask,  with  their  scanty  stock  of  food,  their  tools,  and 
all  the  ropes  which  they  could  collect;  then,  carefully 
rolling  it  overboard,  they  plunged  in  after  it.  A  few 
strokes  took  them  off  the  reef,  and  soon  the  two  swimmers 
were  in  smooth  water,  pushing  the  cask  before  them. 
Penguin's  plan  proved  excellent,  for  after  quarter  of  an 
hour's  progress,  they  were  forced  to  seek  help  of  their  im- 
promptu buoy,  thanks  to  which  they  reached  land  unin- 
jured. • 

The  first  thing  that  they  did  on  setting  foot  on  solid 
earth  was  to  exchange  a  long,  silent  embrace.  Then,  fall- 
ing on  their  knees,  they  thanked  Hun  who  had  kept  up 
their  courage  through  so  many  trials  and  who  had  rescued 
them  from  the  waves  in  so  providential  a  way. 


202  THE   END   OF   THE   ATLANTA. 

When  they  rose,  their  eyes  turned  to  the  deck  of  the 
Atlanta,  which,  stranded  on  the  reef,  still  reared  its  black 
hulk  aloft,  as  if  waiting  their  farewell. 

\Vhile  Penguin  stood  motionless  and  unite,  gazing  fixedly 
at  the  wreck,  a  wave  swept  away  the  last  fragment.  He 
heaved  a  sigh,  and  then,  turning  to  Daniel,  said  :  "  All  is 
over  now.  You  are  all  that  is  left  to  me  on  earth ! " 


"  Daniel  returned  with  a  splendid  cockatoo." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THEDESEKT     ISLAND. 

ANY  other  than  a  castaway  must  have  felt  a  bitter  pang 
at  sight  of  the  desolate,  barren  shore  upon  which  the  storm 
had  washed  the  fragments  of  the  Atlanta.  A  narrow  strip 
of  beach,  sprinkled  with  a  few  sickly  thorn-bushes,  divided 
the  sea  from  the  black  cliffs,  calcined  by  a  tropical  sun, 
and  forming  a  bare,  jagged  ridge.  The  tide,  as  it  went 
down,  left  occasional  pools  of  water  filled  with  blood-red 
seaweed,  adding  by  their  sanguine  hue  to  the  loathsome 
character  of  this  corner  of  the  globe.  No  bird  was  to  be 
seen,  nor  any  living  creature,  in  this  awful  solitude. 

However,  when  the  two  boys,  having  seen  the  last  frag- 
ment of  their  raft  go  down,  turned  and  looked  about  them, 
their  hearts  throbbed  with  joy,  and  filled  with  gratitude  to 
their  invisible  Protector.  To  them,  lost  for  days  out  on 


204  THE   DESERT   ISLAND. 

the  vast  ocean  with  the  constant  prospect  of  death  before 
them,  these  naked  rocks,  these  scrubby  shrubs,  and  these 
cliffs  seemed  wrapped  in  a  marvellous  beauty.  Their  feet 
clung  with  delight  to  the  earth  which  they  had  never  ex- 
pected to  tread  again.  They  eagerly  inhaled  the  scorching 
air,  which  seemed  to  them  a  hundred  times  more  delicious 
than  the  fresh  sea-breeze.  They  sat  thus  side  by  side  on 
the  beach,  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  excitement,  and  over- 
come with  the  bliss  of  their  preservation. 

Daniel  was  the  first  to  shake  off  this  torpor. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  where  fate  has  thrown  us,"  said 
he  after  a  prolonged  silence. 

"  Time  will  tell  us,"  answered  Penguin,  still  deep  in 
thought. 

"  Is  this  land  inhabited  ? "  continued,  the  young  French- 
man. "  I  see  nothing  around  us  to  prove  it." 

"  What  does  it  matter  ?  "  was  the  Canadian's  philosophi- 
cal reply.  "  The  most  important  thing  is  that  we  are  on 
shore.  Now  that  we  are  well  rested,  we  will  take  our  break- 
fast if  you  like.  The  store-closet  is  not  far  off,  and  we 
sha'n't  have  much  trouble  in  emptying  it." 

The  cask,  which  they  had  drawn  high  up  on  the  beach, 
only  contained  a  few  biscuit  and  a  little  salt  meat.  A 
small  remnant  of  brandy  also  remained  in  the  bottom  of 
the  keg. 

The  boys  set  out  in  search  of  fresh  water,  of  which 
they  had  been  so  long  deprived;  but  in  spite  of  all  their 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  205 

patient  scrutiny  they  could  find  no  spring.  They  were 
accordingly  obliged  to  satisfy  themselves  with  washing 
down  their  meagre  meal  with  a  swallow  of  brandy. 

Then  they  divided  the  biscuits  that  were  left,  took  up 
their  ropes  and  tools  —  a  hatchet  and  cutlass  —  and  pre- 
pared to  travel  farther. 

"  What  shaU  we  do  ? '"  asked  Daniel.  "  ShaU  we  climb 
the  cliffs  or  shall  we  follow  the  coast-line  ? " 

"  I  think  we  should  do  well  to  keep  close  to  the  shore," 
said  Penguin.  "  It  is  probable  that  the  storm  has  cast  us 
upon  one  of  the  many  islands  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  Now, 
if  we  are  to  meet  with  Europeans,  it  will  be  upon  the  sea- 
coast,  for  all  their  settlements  are  so  situated." 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Daniel ;  "  but  in  what  direction 
shall  we  go?" 

"  Let  me  see,  where  is  the  sun  ? " 

"  It  will  set  over  yonder,  behind  us." 

"  Then  let  us  follow  its  course,"  said  Penguin ;  "  in  that 
way  we  shall  see  it  a  little  longer." 

They  accordingly  proceeded  westward. 

For  the  first  few  hours  they  advanced  but  slowly,  meet- 
ing with  many  obstacles.  The  rising  tide  now  covered  the 
beach,  forcing  them  to  walk  among  a  confused  mass  of 
rocks  and  stones,  which  formed  the  base  of  the  steep  line 
of  cliffs.  These  stones,  covered  with  sea-mosses  and  tiny 
shells,  were  very  slippery,  and  the  boys  often  had  to  climb 
some  distance  up  to  avoid  deep  pools  of  water  thick  with 
seaweed. 


206  THE   DESERT   ISLAND. 

Finally,  after  much  exertion,  they  reached  a  point 
beyond  which  an  arm  of  the  sea  ran  up  inland.  The 
mountains  stood  a  little  farther  back  from  the  shore,  leav- 
ing a  superb  sandy  beach,  upon  which  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
run  barefooted. 

But  the  brave  boys  could  not  repress  an  exclamation  of 
disappointment.  Their  eyes,  taking  in  the  crescent-shaped 
bay  at  a  glance,  showed -them  nothing  but  a  waste  of  sand 
running  to  the  very  foot  of  the  mountains,  without  a  tree 
or  even  a  bush  to  break  the  awful  monotony. 

"  I  should  think  we  were  at  Cape  Bojador,"  said  Penguin. 
"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,    "  Sand,  sand,   nothing   but  sand. 
Perhaps  we  have  come  in  the  wrong  direction." 

"  Even  if  we  have,  we  cannot  retrace  our  steps.  My 
feet  are  bleeding,  and  I  am  quite  unable  to  repeat  the  gym- 
nastic feats  which  brought  us  here,  at  present.  If  we 
walk  briskly  we  shall  reach  the  opposite  end  of  the  bay 
before  night.  Perhaps  we  may  find  a  more  hospitable 
region  beyond." 

Just  at  this  moment,  Daniel,  who  had  paused,  gave  two 
or  three  leaps,  at  if  he  had  suddenly  gone  mad.     Penguin 
was  amazed  to  see  him  kneel  on  the  sand,  then  jump  up, 
crying :  — 
"Water!  water!" 

In  a  second  the  Canadian  had  followed  the  example  of 
his  companion,  who,  flat  on  the  ground,  had  plunged  his 
face  into  a  rippling  brook. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  207 

Water !  All  their  fears,  all  their  troubles,  were  forgotten. 
The  two  boys  eagerly  drank  the  delicious  beverage.  They 
lapped  it  up  greedily ;  bathed  their  faces,  their  heads  and 
hands  in  it.  Never  in  their  lives  had  they  tasted  anything 
so  cool  and  clear. 

They  were  loath  to  tear  themselves  away  from  this  tiny 
streamlet,  which,  trickling  through  the  sand,  ran  into  the 
sea  close  by.  They  felt  that  water  was  so  rare,  so  precious 
a  thing,  that  they  might  find  none  elsewhere.  A  mere 
trifle  would  have  decided  them  to  spend  the  whole  day  by 
the  rivulet.  Very  fortunately,  Penguin  had  put  one  of 
the  empty  wine-bottles  into  his  pocket.  He  filled  it  with 
water ;  but  this  was  but  a  scanty  supply,  and  he  regretted 
that  he  had  not  brought  along  the  little  cask,  which  had 
been  left  behind  as  too  heavy. 

A  little  farther  on  the  travellers  made  another  delight- 
ful discovery,  —  that  of  some  very  savory  shell-fish,  some- 
thing like  oysters,  which  furnished  them  with  an  excel- 
lent meal. 

Comforted  and  revived  by  these  two  events,  they  walked 
bravely  on  until  evening.  The  sun  was  just  sinking  in  the 
sea  when  they  rounded  the  end  of  the  bay.  The  sandy 
shore  turned  sharply  to  the  north  for  a  short  distance,  and 
the  ocean  stretched  before  them  in  every  other  direction. 

At  this  sight,  the  poor,  discouraged  boys  dropped  heavily 
upon  the  sandy  ground. 

"  We  are  on  a  desert  rock,"  cried  Daniel. 


THE   DESERT   ISLAKD. 

"  I  fear  we  are,"  muttered  Penguin. 

"  What  will  become  of  us  ? " 

"  Let  us  travel  round  the  island,"  said  the  Canadian. 
"  The  other  side  may  offer  greater  resources.  At  any  rate, 
the  brook-water  and  the  shell-fish  will  enable  us  to  await 
the  coming  of  some  passing  ship  which  will  pick  us  up." 

It  was  a  very  feeble  hope.  The  poor  cabin  boys  fell 
asleep  with  melancholy  spirits. 

Yet  it  would  have  taken  them  many  a  long  day  to  walk 
round  the  island  upon  which  fate  had  placed  them ;  for 
this  island,  the  largest  in  the  world,  a  continent  in  itself, 
was  Australia. 

The  floating  fragment  of  the  Atlanta  was  seized  in  the 
forty-fifth  degree  of  latitude  south,  between  Kerguelen 
Land  and  St.  Paul,  by  the  great  South  Australian  current, 
which,  travelling  rapidly  eastward,  after  dividing  into 
two  branches,  passes  to  the  south  of  Australia  and  washes 
the  western  shores  of  New  Zealand.  To  the  latter  country, 
therefore,  the  deck  of  the  Atlanta  would  have  been  borne 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  timely  help  of  the  storm.  In 
that  case  the  wretched  castaways  must  inevitably  have 
died  of  starvation;  for  the  current  slackens  its  pace  in 
the  last  half  of  its  journey,  and  their  involuntary  voyage 
would  have  lasted  three  weeks  longer.  Very  fortunately, 
when  the  hurricane  burst,  the  wreck,  sucked  out  of  the 
current  by  the  force  of  the  wind  blowing  from  the  south, 
was  driven  towards  the  Australian  coast,  and,  as  we  have 


'Huge  trees,  with  silvery  branches,  stood  on  every  hand."  —  Page  211. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  211 

seen,  was  thrown  upon  the  reefs  of  Cape  Nelson,  near  the 
boundary  lines  of  Victoria. 

Daniel  little  guessed  that  the  night,  on  which  he  fell 
asleep  a  prey  to  such  gloomy  forebodings,  was  his  first 
night  upon  Australian  soil,  the  land  of  his  dreams,  the  end 
and  aim  of  his  ambition.  Providence  had  led  him,  with  a 
rough  hand  it  may  be,  to  the  desired  goal ;  but  many  days 
must  yet  elapse  before  he  learned  the  favor  which  had 
been  granted  him. 

At  day-dawn  the  boys  resumed  their  journey.  They 
walked  slowly  on  for  a  whole  week,  with  ever-increasing 
discouragement,  along  the  barren,  sandy  shore,  where  they 
found  no  food  but  shell-fish  and  a  little  water. 

The  length  of  the  distance  which  they  had  traversed 
led  them  to  hope  that  they  might  meet  with  human  beings. 
They  now  knew  that  they  were  journeying  through  a  great 
country,  —  if  an  island,  a  very  large  one,  —  which  could  not 
possibly  be  uninhabited.  This  idea  gave  them  fresh  cour- 
age and  strength. 

However,  energetic  as  they  were,  they  felt  that  they 
could  not  go  on  much  longer.  Had  they  escaped  from  the 
vast  ocean  only  to  perish  in  the  immense  solitudes  of  the 
desert  ? 

Their  joy  may  therefore  be  easily  imagined  when  one 
evening,  on  turning  a  corner,  they  suddenly  found  them- 
selves at  the  head  of  a  smiling  valley,  filled  with  a  rank, 
luxuriant  vegetation.  Huge  trees,  with  silvery  branches, 


212  THE   DESERT   ISLAND. 

stood  on  every  hand,  growing  high  above  a  delightful 
undergrowth  of  dwarf  acacias  and  splendid  tree-ferns,  with 
mossy  trunks  and  soft,  waving  plumes.  A  pretty  river 
ran  noisily  through  the  valley  and  bounding  over  the 
rocks  on  the  shore,  mingled  its  clear  waters  with  the 
waves  of  the  sea.  Night  was  approaching,  and  quantities 
of  birds  were  flying  about,  seeking  shelter.  Snowy  cocka- 
toos, red-headed  parroquets,  and  party-colored  parrots  filled 
the  air  with  their  brilliant  hues  and  their  deafening 
clamor. 

"  By  St.  John  the  Baptist,  the  patron  saint  of  Canada ! " 
enthusiastically  exclaimed  Penguin,  "  this  is,  indeed,  a  par- 
adise." 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  gazing  about  him  with  wonder  and 
admiration,  "  as  truly  as  the  region  we  have  just  left  was 
a  perfect  hell." 

"  God  has  led  us  hither,"  continued  the  Canadian.  "  I 
was  utterly  exhausted,  and  if  the  desert  had  lasted  much 
longer,  I  really  believe  I  should  have  died  of  fatigue. 
These  beautiful  trees  must  have  fruit  on  them,  but  it  is 
too  late  for  us  to  look.  We  shall  see  to-morrow." 

After  a  good  night's  rest  on  a  soft  bed  of  fern-leaves 
the  two  friends  set  about  examining  the  trees;  but  to 
their  great  disappointment,  they  found  that  none  of  them 
bore  fruit.  Had  they  been  botanists,  they  would  have 
known  that  the  splendid  trees  all  about  them  belonged  to 
the  great  family  of  the  Eucalyptus,  none  of  which  bear 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  213 

edible  fruit,  or  to  that  of    the  ferns,  which  have  neither 
fruit  nor  flowers. 

It  is  certainly  very  hard  to  die  of  hunger  hi  the  midst  of 
a  desert;  but  in  a  paradise,  such  a  thing  is  hot  to  be 
thought  of  for  an  instant. 

However,  after  a  minute  exploration  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, our  travellers  were  convinced  that  there  was  no  veg- 
etable food  to  be  found,  and  were  very  glad  to  return  to 
the  beach  and  breakfast  on  shell-fish  once  more. 

They  then  decided  to  ford  the  river  and  push  farther 
westward.  The  crossing  of  the  little  stream  afforded  them 
a  good  bath,  but  once  on  the  other  side,  they  saw  with 
regret  that  the  soil  speedily  resumed  its  barren,  sandy 
character,  which  continued  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

Their  hesitation  was  great ;  but  they  could  not  make  up 
their  minds  to  leave  the  valley  for  the  desert.  Penguin, 
particularly,  preferred  the  shade  of  the  trees  to  the  scorch- 
ing heat  of  the  beach. 

"  I  have  an  idea,"  he  said  to  Daniel.  "  These  trees  are 
full  of  birds.  Why  should  n't  we  try  to  catch  a  few  of 
them  ? " 

"How?" 

"  By  throwing  stones  at  them.  With  patience,  -we  must 
certainly  get  at  least  one." 

"  I  have  a  better  plan,"  said  Daniel.  "  When  I  was  a 
child  at  home,  and  played  truant,  —  which,  I  regret  to  say, 
was  not  seldom,  —  I  spent  my  time  in  setting  traps  for 


214  THE   DESERT   ISLAND. 

birds.  I  could  easily  weave  some  snares  from  these  vines ; 
but  it  would  take  time.  I  was  also  quite  skilful  in  hand- 
ling a  sling.  I  will  make  one ;  we  have  plenty  of  rope, 
and  stones  as  well.  This  will  be  a  more  speedy  mode  of 
procedure,  and  will  give  us  something  to  eat  at  once." 

"  Very  well,  make  haste,"  replied  Penguin  ;  "  and  while 
you  are  hunting,  I  will  get  the  kitchen  ready." 

"The  kitchen?" 

"  Yes,  I  will  kindle  the  fire,  and  I  —  " 

"  The  fire  ?     What  are  you  going  to  light  it  with  ? :> 

"  Nothing  easier  with  this  in  hand,"  said  the  Canadian, 
drawing  from  his  pocket  a  knife  and  a  sharp  flint-stone.  "  I 
lay  a  bit  of  my  shirt  on  this  pebble,  which  I  picked  up 
the  other  day,  and  I  strike  a  light.  What  is  there  ex- 
traordinary in  that  ?  My  fire  once  lighted,  I  will  heat  the 
water  —  " 

"  What  are  you  going  to  heat  it  in  ? "  asked  Daniel,  with 
great  surprise. 

"  It  is  very  evident,  my  dear  fellow,  that  you  did  well  to 
appoint  yourself  hunter  to  the  party,  for  you  know  nothing 
about  housekeeping.  I  am  an  old  woodsman,  and  never 
would  allow  myself  to  be  put  out  by  such  a  trifle.  You 
shall  see  how  I  make  our  kettle ;  for  a  kettle  we  must 
have.  Look  at  that  great  tree,  with  white  bark  like  a 
birch ;  that  shall  furnish  us  with  what  we  want." 

He  went  up  to  a  tall  gum-tree  and  made  two  vertical 
incisions  in  the  trunk  with  his  axe,  then  two  horizontal 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  215 

cuts  united  them;  he  thus  peeled  off  a  large,  oblong  piece 
of  bark,  without  any  trouble.  Bending  the  sides  together, 
he  quickly  fashioned  a  sort  of  cylindrical  vase,  and  pinned 
it;  together  with  acacia  thorns. 

"  Your  kettle  won't  hold  water,  and  it  will  burn," 
remarked  Daniel. 

"  Wait  a  bit." 

And  Penguin,  carrying  his  bark  kettle/  went  down  to 
the  river,  and  walked  a  short  distance  down  the  bank. 
Then,  doubtless  finding  what  he  wanted,  he  stooped, 
picked  up  two  or  three  handfuls  of  brownish  earth,  which 
he  moistened  slightly  with  water.  He  kneaded  the  mix- 
ture a  little  and  carefully  plastered  the  outside  of  his  pot 
with  it,  covering  it  with  a  regular  layer  about  a  finger 
thick. 

"  There,"  said  he,  "  there  is  your  kettle.  It  is  light,  con- 
venient, and  not  expensive.  Now,  while  I  light  the  fire, 
do  you  go  in  search  of  game." 

Daniel  started  out,  but  his  first  attempts  were  fruitless. 
His  hand  had  lost  its  cunning ;  the  trees  were  very  tall ; 
but  at  last,  after  an  hour's  chase,  he  returned  to  the  ren- 
dezvous with  a  splendid  cockatoo. 

As  Penguin  had  promised,  the  fire  burned  briskly  and 
the  water  was  boiling  in  the  pot,  the  clay  that  covered  it 
having  turned  to  a  fine  brick-red  on  exposure  to  the  flames. 
In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  the  bird  was  plucked,  dressed, 
and  plunged  into  the  boiling  water. 


216  THE   DESERT   ISLAND. 

"  This  is  much  better  than  roasting  it,"  sententiously 
observed  the  impromptu  cook,  "and  won't  harm  your 
game,  which  looked  to  me  rather  aged.  It  will  give  us 
both  soup  and  beef.  But  watch  the  pot.  I  forgot  to  prt>- 
vide  plates." 

These  were  fashioned  as  easily  as  the  kettle  had  been, 
and  having  been  submitted  to  the  action  of  fire,  would 
have  done  honoY  to  an  antique  potter. 

Daniel  was  as  touched  by  his  comrade's  unalterable  good 
humor  as  he  was  deeply  struck  by  his  quick  intellect  and 
his  sprightly  temper. 

"What  would  have  become  of  me  without  you,  dear 
Martial  ? "  said  he. 

"  We  each  need  the  other,"  answered  Penguin,  "  but  just 
now  we  must  pay  attention  to  our  dinner ;  the  soup  is 
ready." 

How  delicious  this  substantial,  hot  meal  seemed  to  the 
castaways,  so  long  deprived  of  solid  food  !  After  devour- 
ing the  soup,  they  feasted  on  the  boiled  flesh  of  the  old 
cockatoo,  which  they  washed  down  with  copious  draughts 
of  fresh  water. 

"  If  we  only  had  some  bread,  or  even  some  hard  tack," 
said  Daniel  enthusiastically,  "I  think  I  might  call  this 
the  best  dinner  I  ever  ate  in  my  life." 

"  So  should  I,"  said  Penguin.  "  I  had  no  idea  that  those 
chattering  old  parrots  had  such  a  delicate  flavor ;  and  as 
there  are  plenty  of  them  all  about  us,  we  are  secure  against 


THE   TWO   CABIN    BOYS.  217 

famine  for  a  long  time  to  come.  If  we  really  are  on  a 
desert  island,  we  will  do  as  Kobinson  Crusoe  did  ;  we  will 
build  a  house,  and  live  happily  in  this  solitude." 

"  We  could  make  ourselves  happy  for  some  years,  "  said 
Daniel,  "  but  in  the  long  run  I  fancy  we  should  tire  of  it ; 
so  it  will  be  wise,  if  we  build  a  house,  to  put  it  up  near  the 
beach,  so  that  we  can  see  any  ship  that  passes,  and  signal 
her  if  need  be." 

"  Our  best  course  for  the  present,"  responded  the  Cana- 
dian, "is  to  explore  the  interior  of  the  country,  or  at  any 
rate  to  see  what  resources  the  valley  has  to  offer.  This 
valley  may  lead  to  some  rising  ground,  from  which  we  can 
grasp  the  whole  island  at  a  glance.  We  can  choose  the 
best  situation  for  a  settlement  at  our  leisure." 

"  But  we  are  very  well  off"  here,"  observed  Daniel. 

"  Yes,  and  we  will  come  back  here  if  we  do  not  find  a 
better  location.  Besides,  we  run  no  risk  of  getting  lost ; 
this  river  will  guide  us.  We  will  follow  it  to  its  source, 
and  if  our  exploration  is  in  vain  we  can  return  here." 

This  plan  being  adopted,  the  boys  spent  the  rest  of  the 
day  in  preparations  for  the  trip.  Penguin,  still  playing 
the  part  of  housekeeper,  skilfully  converted  their  broad 
red  woollen  sashes  into  two  bags  for  their  kitchen  utensils, 
and  the  provisions  to  be  collected  later  on.  The  seams, 
which  were  run  up  with  twine,  were  strong  if  not  elegant. 

Meantime,  Daniel  set  about  securing  supplies  for  the 
larder.  Armed  with  his  sling,  he  lurked  among  the  trees 


218  THE   DESERT   ISLAND. 

on  the  watch  for  some  unwary  bird.  His  stones  constantly 
missed  their  mark,  and  he  was  beginning  to  feel  discour- 
aged, when  he  thought  of  substituting  balls  of  clay  baked  in 
the  fire,  for  pebbles.  These  formed  hard,  round  missiles 
which  whistled  through  the  air  like  bullets.  At  the  very 
first  trial  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  a  magnificent  bird 
fall  at  his  feet.  After  some  consideration,  he  concluded 
that  it  was  a  pigeon,  although  its  bluish-green  plumage 
was  quite  unlike  that  of  its  European  cousins,  and  it  was 
also  much  larger.  It  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the  Molucca 
pigeon,  a  bird  of  great  beauty  and  delicate  flavor. 

Another  attempt  brought  down  a  large  gray  parrot ;  and 
the  young  hunter,  satisfied  with  his  luck,  returned  to 
camp. 

The  Canadian  sat  by  the  fire,  busy  with  his  sewing.  By 
his  side  was  a  kettle  full  of  water,  boiling  briskly  over  the 
flames. 

"  I  have  brought  you  something  to  put  into  the  pot," 
cried  Daniel,  showing  him  his  fine  birds ;  "  but  what  are  you 
cooking  now  ? " 

"  I  am  boiling  salt  water,"  quietly  replied  Penguin. 

"  What  for  ? " 

"  Did  you  think  the  soup  was  good  this  morning  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "  excellent." 

"  Well,  that  was  because  I  took  care  to  put  a  little  salt 
water  into  my  broth,  but  only  a  very  little,  for  it  is  a  thing 
which  must  not  be  abused.  But  if  we  go  through  the 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  219 

valley  to-morrow,  we  shall  have  none  to  use.     Then  how 
are  we  going  to  flavor  our  soup  ? " 

"  True,  I  never  thought  of  that." 

"  The  water  which  I  am  boiling  will  provide  us  with  a 
good  supply  of  salt,  and  we  can  not  only  season  our  soup, 
but  salt  our  meat." 

In  fact,  as  the  liquid  evaporated,  it  deposited  a  layer  of 
grayish  crystals  on  the  sides  of  the  pot  Penguin,  who 
was  watching  the  operation,  added  salt  water  from  time  to 
time,  to  increase  the  crystalline  deposit.  When  evening 
came  the  boys  had  gathered  several  pounds  of  nice  salt  in 
this  way.  It  was  dry  and  sparkling,  and  was  instantly 
stored  away  in  a  dainty  box  made  of  eucalyptus  bark  by 
the  ingenious  Canadian. 

With  what  supreme  satisfaction  the  wanderers  lay  down 
to  rest  on  their  fern  beds  that  night !  The  results  obtained 
in  this  one  day  had  opened  up  a  future  full  of  promise. 
Thanks  to  their  united  efforts  and  their  industry,  they  now 
felt  that  they  might  be  thoroughly  happy,  even  if  fate  con- 
demned them  to  a  prolonged  exile  in  this  desert  region. 


-  t^^^"    '°^^\ 

-r    ^ 


"  The  mountain-pass  came  to  a  sadden  end." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GLENELG. 

NEXT  morning,  loaded  with  their  light  baggage,  the  two 
travellers  started  on  their  journey. 

The  valley  narrowed  to  the  east  and  was  traversed  by 
the  river,  which  wound  capriciously  as  it  went,  and  leaped 
gayly  over  white  stones,  beneath  a  close  canopy  of  ver- 
dure. 

It  was  really  an  enchanting  scene.  Superb  groups  of 
tree-ferns  formed  masses  of  dark  green  at  the  foot  of  giant 
eucalyptus  trees,  whose  silvery  tops  seemed  lost  in  the 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  221 

cloudless  azure  sky ;  and  through  this  verdant  curtain  came 
occasional  glimpses  of  hills  covered  with  acacias,  casuarinas, 
and  a  hundred  other  flowering  shrubs.  \Ylio  would  sup- 
pose that  these  magnificent  floral  adornments  concealed  the 
burning  desert,  where  our  wanderers  Lad  feared  they 
should  die  of  hunger  and  fatigue  ?  No  part  of  the  world 
presents  such  sudden  and  intense  contrasts  as  Australia. 
The  gloomy,  vast,  and  awful  desert  constantly  gives  unex- 
pected place  to  a  smiling  oasis,  or  a  fresh  valley,  whose 
beauty  is  merely  due  to  some  spring  or  river  which  fertil- 
izes the  virgin  soil. 

The  two  friends  walked  slowly  on  through  this  Eden. 
There  was  no  haste ;  tune  was  nothing  to  them.  As  they 
went  along  they  admired  the  beautiful  birds  fluttering 
over-head. 

No  country  on  earth  can  rival  Australia  in  the  beauty 
of  its  birds.  It  is  the  home  of  the  bird  of  paradise,  the 
"  diamond  of  the  animal  kingdom."  There,  amid  an  incom- 
parable collection  of  cockatoos,  parrots,  and  parroquets, 
we  find  the  elegant  lyre-bird,  Wilson's  blackbird  (a  very 
rare  species),  and  a  hundred  varieties  of  ringdoves,  orioles, 
and  bright-hued  pigeons. 

Now  and  then  Daniel  brought  down  one  of  these  gay 
denizens  of  the  woods  with  his  sling.  Penguin  looked  for 
fruit,  only  finding  a  few  sour  berries ;  or  carved  a  spoon 
from  a  bit  of  gum-tree,  working  as  he  walked.  Then,  their 
day's  journey  done,  the  friends  sat  down  beneath  some 


222         THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GLENELG. 

hoary  tree  to  rest.  Soon  the  fire  burned  briskly,  the  kettle 
was  filled  with  water  from  the  river,  and  their  supper  was 
cooked  amid  laughter  and  jests. 

Yes,  laughter!  for  it  was  a  peaceful,  happy  life,  which 
made  the  exiles  forget  all  the  bitterness  of  the  past.  Were 
they  not  at  that  charming  age  when  every  novelty  distracts 
and  lulls  grief  ;  when  the  mind,  in  its  youthful  freshness, 
chases  away  tears  still  wet  on  the  cheek,  with  a  hearty 
laugh ;  when  a  boy's  courage  is  still  undaunted,  and  goes 
straight  forward  to  meet  obstacles  which  will  overwhelm  it 
later  on,  after  long  years  of  struggle  and  failure  ? 

Many  days  passed  thus,  and  the  lads  thought  that  they 
must  be  near  their  journey's  end.  The  valley  narrowed 
rapidly,  the  hills  hung  closer  over  the  river,  which  did  not, 
however,  show  any  sign  of  diminution. 

This  latter  fact  did  not  escape  the  observant  eye  of  Pen- 
guin. He  could  not  help  expressing  his  surprise  when,  on 
reaching  the  end  of  the  valley,  he  saw  the  rapid  river  pour- 
ing in  foaming  cascades  from  a  narrow  mountain  gorge. 

"  I  should  have  thought,"  said  he,  "  that  we  must  have 
reached  the  source  of  the  river.  The  valley  evidently  comes 
to  an  end  here,  and  yet  the  torrent,  falling  from  the  top  of  that 
rocky  wall,  pours  down  almost  as  great  a  volume  of  water 
as  it  does  where  it  enters  the  sea.  It  must  therefore  come 
from  a  distance,  probably  from  the  plain  above." 

"  Perhaps  so,"  said  Daniel ;  "  but  see  how  wild  and 
barren  those  mountains  look.  I  don't  see  a  single  tree.  We 


THE    TWO   CABIN    BOYS. 


223 


were  wrong  to  come  this  way ;  we  shall  find  nothing  be- 
yond but  a  stony  waste,  such  as  we  passed  through  on  our 
first  day's  journey." 


"  The  rapid  river  pouring  in  foaming  cascades  from  a  narrow 
mountain  gorge." 


224          THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  ULEXELG. 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  replied  the  Canadian.  "  A  region  that 
sends  down  so  much  water  to  the  sea  cannot  be  sterile. 
It  must  have  plenty  of  springs,  and  consequently,  in  such 
a  climate,  trees  and  vegetation.  Let  us  keep  on ;  we  will 
not  go  too  far  to  prevent  our  return  to  our  charming 
valley." 

The  narrow  pass  through  which  the  fiver  wound  before 
it  fell  in  cascades  to  the  vale  below  was  anything  but 
inviting.  It  was  a  mass  of  gray,  slippery  rocks,  among 
which  grew  tall  thorn-bushes. 

When  the  floods  were  out,  the  torrent  must  fill  it  and 
convert  it  into  a  terrible  whirlpool.  The  very  banks 
were  overgrown  with  long,  loose  briers,  which  in  places 
reached  from  shore  to  shore  and  quite  concealed  the 
stream. 

The  sun  turned  this  gorge  into  a  perfect  furnace ;  our 
travellers  accordingly  pushed  forward,  wishing  to  get  out  of 
it  as  quickly  as  possible.  After  two  hours'  walk  they  still 
saw  no  signs  of  open  country.  They  would  undoubtedly 
have  given  way  to  discouragement  if  Daniel  had  not  sud- 
denly changed  the  current  of  their  thoughts  by  shouting : 
"An  ostrich!" 

"  An  ostrich ! "  repeated  Penguin. 

And  both  boys  started  on  a  run  in  pursuit  of  a  superb 
emeu,  which  fled  from  them  with  tremendous  strides.  Two 
or  three  times  Daniel  took  aim  at  it  with  his  sling ;  but 
his  missiles  fell  short  or  had  no  effect  on  so  big  and  strong 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  225 

a  creature.     Finally  the  emeu  gained  the  advantage  and 
soon  disappeared  round  a  turn  in  the  ravine. 

The  two  lads,  convinced  that  their  efforts  were  vain,  fell 
breathlessly  upon  a  rock.  The  sight  of  the  big  bird  had 
greatly  amazed  them.  Neither  of  them  was  enough  of  a 
zoologist  to  know  the  Australian  emeu,  which,  smaller 
than  the  African  ostrich,  differs  from  it  in  its  gray  feathers, 
and  lack  of  plumes  on  tail  and  wings. 

"  An  ostrich !"  said  Penguin  at  last,  in  a  dreamy  tone. 
"  In  what  country  can  we  be  then  ? " 

"  That  is  what  I  was  thinking,  too,"  said  Daniel.  "  I 
thought  that  ostriches  only  grew  in  Africa." 

"  But  we  cannot  possibly  be  in  Africa." 

"  Then  where  are  we  ? " 

"  There  is  one  thing  certain,"  continued  Penguin,  "  and 
that  is  that  this  bird  is  greatly  sought  for  on  account  of 
its  feathers,  and  it  is  also  very  rare.  Therefore  if  our 
island  contains  ostriches,  hunters  must  come  here  some- 
times to  catch  them ;  so  we  had  better  follow  the  road 
which  the  ostrich  took.  By  keeping  in  the  neighborhood 
of  these  birds  we  shall  have  a  chance  of  escape  some  day 
or  other.  At  any  rate,  let  us  hurry  out  of  this  oven,  where 
I  am  actually  baking." 

In  a  few  paces  they  gained  the  rock  behind  which  the 
emeu  had  disappeared,  and  could  not  restrain  an  excla- 
mation of  admiration  at  the  spectacle  which  lay  before 
them. 

15 


226         THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GLENELG. 

The  mountain-pass,  coming  to  a  sudden  end,  gave  place 
to  a  vast  circular  space  surrounded  by  hills  covered  with 
scanty  shrubs.  But  the  plain  itself,  the  basin,  was  car- 
peted with  emerald-green  grass,  through  which  the  river 
flowed,  meandering  gracefully  hither  and  thither.  Splen- 
did trees,  standing  alone  or  in  picturesque  groups,  cast 
a  shadow  on  the  verdant  lawn,  and  gave  it  the  look  of  a 
great  park.  To  add  to  the  general  effect  of  the  picture, 
a  number  of  animals,  which  our  travellers  at  first  took  for 
deer,  were  quietly  cropping  the  turf  amid  various  family 
parties  of  emeus. 

"  If  I  only  saw  a  fence  here  and  there,"  said  Penguin, 
"  I  should  be  willing  to  swear  that  we  were  near  Montreal, 
in  Canada,  in  one  of  the  fine  parks  just  outside  the  city. 
Was  n't  I  right  when  I  told  you  that  this  stream  would 
lead  us  to  a  fertile  region  ?  This  is  much  better  than 
our  valley,  and  if  we  only  had  a  gun,  yonder  herd  of 
deer  would  provide  us  with  food  for  the  rest  of  our 
days." 

"  Do  you  think  they  are  deer  ? "  asked  Daniel.  "  They 
look  to  me  very  small." 

"  It  may  be  a  species  peculiar  to  this  country,"  said  the 
Canadian.  "  Let  us  approach  them  softly  and  see  what 
they  are." 

Leaving  the  gorge,  the  boys  proceeded  cautiously  towards 
a  group  of  trees  near  which  some  of  the  animals  were 
browsing.  One  was  only  a  few  steps  away  from  the  tree 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS. 


227 


behind  which  the  youngsters  hid,  and  they  examined  him 
at  their  leisure. 

Penguin  could  not  help  muttering,  at  the  first  glance, 
"  What  a  queer  beast ! " 


"  It  was  indeed  a  singular  creature." 

It  was  indeed  a  singular  creature.  It  was  larger  than  a 
deer ;  its  posture  made  it  look  like  a  gigantic  hare ;  its 
long  hind  legs  were  bent  under  it,  and  it  rested,  as  it 
browsed,  upon  short,  thin  arms,  finished  off  with  a  kind  of 


228         THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GLENELG. 

hand,  which  it  occasionally  used  to  stuff  its  food  into  its 
mouth,  like  a  squirrel. 

Daniel  making  a  slight  involuntary  movement,  the 
animal  seemed  to  take  the  alarm.  It  rose  suddenly  on 
its  hind-quarters,  balancing  its  body  with  its  tail,  which 
gave  it  the  effect  of  sitting  on  a  tripod.  Then  it  uttered  a 
piercing  cry. 

At  this  call  three  little  ones,  which  the  wanderers  had 
not  noticed  before,  bounded  up  to  their  mother,  who, 
taking  them  in  her  hands  or  fore-paws,  stuffed  them  mi.- 
after  the  other  into  a  sort  of  open  pouch  hanging  from  her 
breast,  where  the  babies  snuggled  away,  leaving  only  their 
heads  exposed,  as  if  looking  over  the  edge  of  a  balcony. 

This  was  too  much  for  our  young  friends,  who  could  not 
repress  a  simultaneous  cry  of  surprise.  The  terrified  beast 
instantly  rose  to  her  full  height  and  fled  with  long  leaps, 
carrying  her  family  with  her. 

Daniel  and  Penguin  looked  at  each  other  in  utter  amaze- 
ment. Had  fortune  stranded  them  on  one  of  the  myste- 
rious islands  of  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights  ?  Neither 
of  them  had  ever  heard  of  such  an  animal ;  and  they 
asked  each  other  if  what  they  had  seen  were  not  some 
passing  hallucination,  or  the  phantom  of  a  dream. 

And  yet  it  was  only  a  kangaroo  that  caused  all  their 
wonder.  The  poor  Canadian  had  never  heard  of  such  a 
creature;  but  if  Daniel,  instead  of  playing  truant,  had 
studied  his  lessons  more  sedulously,  he  would  not  only 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  229 

have  recognized  the  great  Australian  marsupial  from  its 
description,  but  he  would  have  discovered  at  the  same  time, 
that  he  was  in  Australia,  for  the  kangaroo  only  exists  in 
that  queen  of  islands. 

The  first  moment  of  surprise  passed,  the  two  lads 
regretted  that  they  had  not  been  able  to  catch  the  strange 
and  mysterious  animal. 

"  It 's  a  very  queer  beast,"  repeated  Penguin,  "  but  as  it 
eats  grass,  its  flesh  must  be  good  to  eat.  What  a  pity  that 
we  could  not  knock  it  over !  It  would  have  made  us  a 
famous  dinner." 

"  When  I  saw  that  big  hare  pocket  her  children,  and 
run  off  on  two  legs  like  a  man,"  said  Daniel,  "  I  was  so 
perfectly  thunderstruck  that  I  forgot  all  about  my  sling. 
But  the  creature  was  not  alone ;  I  see  that  she  has  quietly 
joined  that  herd  browsing  over  yonder.  Perhaps  we  can 
get  within  range." 

"  I  am  sure  the  creatures  don't  seem  to  be  very  much 
afraid  of  us,"  said  the  Canadian ;  "  but  I  doubt  if  you 
succeed  in  bringing  down  such  large  game  with  your  clay 
balls.  I  don't  see  why  we  should  n't  follow  the  example 
of  our  Canadian  Indians.  There  are  plenty  of  reed-canes 
about ;  we  have  cords ;  let  us  see  if  we  can't  make  a  bow 
and  some  arrows.  With  these  weapons,  we  might  kill  one 
of  those  big  hares." 

"What  a  capital  idea!"  exclaimed  Daniel.  "Let  us 
carry  it  out  at  once." 


230  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  GLEUELG. 

They  soon  found  a  good  flexible  reed  on  the  river  bank, 
from  which  Penguin  fashioned  a  primitive  bow,  which  he 
strung  with  a  strong  cord. 

Meantime  the  young  French  boy  was  selecting  light, 
dry  rushes  for  arrows.  Cut  into  pieces  of  two  feet  in 
length,  well  sharpened  to  a  point  at  one  end,  they  iiuuli- 
quite  a  formidable  weapon.  To  make  them  fly  straighter, 
Penguin  feathered  them  with  plumes  from  a  cockatoo's 
wing,  and  carefully  dried  the  points  by  the  fire,  to  make 
them  hard  and  sharp. 

Quick  as  they  were,  night  overtook  the  ingenious  youths 
before  they  had  finished  their  task ;  but  they  worked  Ijy 
the  light  of  their  fire,  and  did  not  rest  till  they  had  com- 
pleted two  bows  and  a  dozen  or  more  arrows. 

The  first  beams  of  daylight  found  them  up  and  eager  to 
try  their  novel  arms. 

The  plain  was  deserted,  and  our  ardent  hunters  were 
expressing  their  disappointment  when  they  saw  the  kan- 
garoos coming  down  from  the  hills  to  drink  at  the  river. 
Soon  the  bounding,  frolicking  troop  were  ranged  in  line  at 
a  part  of  the  bank  forming  a  convenient  watering-place. 

The  opportunity  was  not  to  be  missed.  The  boys  glided 
cautiously  to  within  a  dozen  yards  of  the  kangaroos,  and, 
agreeing  to  aim  at  the  same  animal,  they  let  their  arrows 
fly.  One  of  them  went  whizzing  over  the  herd,  and  was 
lost  in  the  stream ;  but  the  other  buried  itself  in  the  side 
of  a  young  kangaroo,  which  sprang  up,  uttering  shrill  cries. 


"  Agreeing  to  aim  at  the  same  animal,  they  let  their  arrows  fly."  —  Page  230. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  233 

The  terrified  herd  instantly  took  flight,  and  at  a  few  bounds 
gained  the  shelter  of  a  thicket. 

The  wounded  beast  followed  his  comrades ;  but  his 
pain  slackened  his  pace,  and  he  was  soon  caught  by  the 
hunters,  who  rushed  in  pursuit  of  him.  Daniel  sent 
another  arrow  after  him  as  he  ran,  and  Penguin  stretched 
him  dead  at  their  feet  with  a  blow  of  his  axe. 

When  they  found  themselves  masters  of  this  rich  booty, 
the  boys  were  seized  with  a  fit  of  wild  delight.  With 
shouts  of  triumph,  they  executed  a  war-dance  round  the 
kangaroo  which  was  quite  worthy  of  the  wild  Hurons, 
Penguin's  compatriots.  Then,  after  curiously  examining 
the  creature  which  struck  them  as  being  so  strange,  they 
skinned  it,  and  a  fire  was  soon  lighted  to  roast  a  quarter  of 
the  excellent  venison. 

The  kangaroo,  or  "  big  hare  "  as  they  called  it,  was  pro- 
nounced delicious.  Accordingly,  when  breakfast  was  over, 
the  Canadian  set  to  work  to  smoke  the  rest  of  the  carcass, 
in  Indian  fashion ;  for  the  hot  Australian  sun  would  soon 
have  ruined  it  had  they  failed  to  take  this  precaution. 


"  The  man  prostrated  himself.' 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

MR.    FRIDAY. 

THE  two  lads  proceeded  to  explore  the  charming  valley 
of  the  Glenelg  by  short  inarches.  They  had  decided  to 
push  on  to  the  source  of  the  river,  and,  having  settled  the 
extent  of  their  domain,  they  would  come  back  and  settle 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mountain-pass,  where  they 
would  build  a  hut  within  reach  of  both  sea  and  moun- 
tain. 

Daniel,  with  his  characteristic  mobility,  was  very  enthu- 
siastic at  the  prospect  of  this  Robinson-Crusoe-like  life. 
Looking  forward  without  alarm  to  a  long  stay  in  this 
deserted  valley,  he  already  talked  of  planting  a  garden 
beside  his  future  home  and  of  taming  a  flock  of  kangaroos. 
The  calmer  Penguin  kept  his  schemes  to  himself.  Not 
that  he  dreaded  this  solitary  life,  —  was  not  his  boyhood 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  235 

passed  amid  awful  solitudes  ?  —  but  he  wished  first  to  make 
sure  that  their  isolation  was  complete  and  final. 

They  therefore  advanced  slowly,  spending  the  day  in 
hunting  kangaroos,  and  sleeping  at  night  beneath  some  tall 
tree.  They  felt  perfectly  secure,  for  they  had  never  yet 
met  with  any  dangerous  animal.  Still  this  part  of  Aus- 
tralia is  not  lacking  in  savage  beasts ;  the  woods  are  infes- 
ted with  wildcats  and  a  peculiar  species  of  wolf;  but 
these  creatures,  which  are  all  undersized,  never  attack  a 
man  and  only  leave  their  lair  at  midnight. 

After  journeying  for  several  days  the  wanderers  reached 
a  vast  swamp  shut  in  by  hills,  in  which  the  Glenelg  took 
its  rise.  Flocks  of  water-birds  of  brilliant  hues  swarmed 
on  the  marshy  banks ;  but  at  the  approach  of  the  boys 
they  flew  noisily  away  in  alarm,  and  never  rested  until 
they  were  out  of  bow-shot. 

Penguin,  undiscouraged,  waded  boldly  in  and  hiding 
among  the  reeds,  managed  to  approach  some  of  them. 
Daniel  saw  him  bend  his  bow  and  send  an  arrow  at  an 
invisible  object,  successfully  no  doubt,  for  he  instantly 
heard  a  shout  of  triumph.  Then  the  Canadian  sprang 
quickly  back  to  shore. 

"  This  is  too  much ! "  he  cried  breathlessly.  "  We  cer- 
tainly are  on  an  enchanted  island." 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  asked  Daniel. 

"  Just  now  I  saw  a  big  duck's  head,  quite  close  beside 
me,  emerging  from  the  water.  I  took  careful  aim,  let 


236  MR.   FRIDAY. 

fly  my  arrow  and  hit  the  creature,  which  struggled  hard. 
I  was  afraid  it  would  escape,  and  ran  up  to  it.  Well,  it 
was  a  queer  kind  of  a  bird.  Only  look  at  it ! " 

And  he  held  up  a  strange  creature,  looking  very  much 
like  a  small  otter,  but  having  a  horny  bill  like  a  goose,  and 
web-feet. 

"  But  that  is  not  a  bird,"  exclaimed  Daniel. 

"  Of  course  not,  for  I  never  saw  a  bird  with  four  paws," 
said  Penguin,  "  but  neither  did  I  ever  see  an  otter  with  a 
duck's  bill  And  I  can  tell  you,  this  queer  beast  makes 
good  use  of  his  bill  When  I  took  hold  of  him,  he  gave  me 
such  a  fierce  bite  that  I  nearly  dropped  him ;  but  I  wrung 
his  neck  for  him  with  a  twist  of  my  hand." 

"  What  a  queer  country !  "  muttered  the  French  boy. 
''  Hares  as  big  as  deer,  that  jump  about  like  squirrels  and 
carry  their  young  in  their  pocket ;  ostriches ;  and  otters 
with  ducks'  heads  !  No  one  would  believe  it  if  we  were 
to  tell  them." 

The  Australian  fauna  is  a  strange  one  indeed.  The 
animals  which  compose  it  are  more  like  antediluvian  races 
than  like  modern  species ;  all  its  mammiferce  are  marsu- 
pials, and  it  is  the  only  place  where  the  family  of  ornitho- 
rhyncidse  still  exists,  —  a  species  which  our  ancestors  would 
have  classed  among  fabulous  beings,  and  which  in  its 
structure  seems  to  form  a  connecting  link  between  beasts 
and  birds. 

The  astonishment  of  the  two  boys  was  therefore  very 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  237 

natural.  However,  being  a  practical  boy,  Penguin  declared 
that  he  meant  to  find  out  whether  the  ornithorhyncida 
tasted  like  fish,  flesh,  or  fowl ;  and  a  fire  being  lighted,  the 
creature  was  properly  dressed  and  put  to  roast  on  the  spot. 

Half  an  hour  after  nothing  was  left  of  the  fabulous 
creature  but  its  bones.  By  a  unanimous  vote  its  delicate 
white  meat  was  pronounced  better  than  that  of  the  kanga- 
roo. Penguin  carefully  preserved  the  skin  and  the  beak 
still  adhering  to  the  jaw-bone,  intending  to  display  this 
trophy  in  conclusive  proof  of  his  wonderful  discovery. 

Dinner  done,  they  were  about  to  resume  their  journey, 
when  Daniel  suddenly  gave  a  terrified  scream,  which 
made  Penguin  rise  hastily  from  packing  his  kitchen 
utensils. 

Pale  and  trembling,  the  French  boy,  unable  to  utter  a 
syllable,  pointed  to  a  neighboring  thicket,  where  Penguin 
instantly  perceived  a  human  form,  half  hidden  by  the 
branches.  The  Canadian  grew  pale  in  his  turn ;  but  seiz- 
ing his  bow,  he  bent  it,  put  in  an  arrow,  and  taking  aim  at 
the  bush,  held  himself  on  the  defensive. 

This  attitude  at  once  produced  its  due  effect,  for  a  black 
man,  entirely  naked,  immediately  sprang  from  the  bushes  ; 
but  instead  of  falling  upon  the  boys,  he  prostrated  himself 
before  them,  his  face  to  the  ground,  and  muttered  some 
unintelligible  words. 

"  It 's  a  savage,"  said  Daniel. 

"  Yes,"  said  Penguin,  "  but  he  seems  to  be  quite  as  much 


238  MB.    FRIDAY. 

afraid  of  us  as  we  are  of  him.  After  all,  he  is  a  human 
being  and  he  may  be  able  to  help  us." 

Dropping  his  bow,  the  Canadian  went  up  to  the  still 
prostrate  savage  and  touched  him  gently  on  the  shoulder. 
The  black  man  raised  his  head,  showing  a  fine  face,  adorned 
with  a  short  curly  beard ;  then  he  got  up  slowly  and  be- 
gan to  talk  with  great  volubility.  He  ended  his  long  and 
unintelligible  speech  with  these  words  twice  repeated : 
"  Good  man !  good  man ! "  And  at  the  same  time  he  put 
his  hand  on  Daniel's  breast,  then  on  that  of  Penguin. 

"  The  savage  speaks  English ! "  cried  both  boys  at  once ; 
but  in  vain  did  they  ask  him  various  questions  in  that 
language.  The  only  answer  which  they  received  was: 
"  Good  man !  good  man ! " 

"  Evidently  this  negro  only  knows  those  two  words  of 
English,"  said  Daniel ;  "  but  he  must  have  been  with  Eng- 
lish people  to  learn  them.  Europeans  must  sometimes  visit 
this  island." 

"  At  any  rate,"  added  Penguin,  "  this  fellow  is  not  the 
only  one  of  his  kind.  We  must  make  ourselves  agreeable 
to  him,  and  he  will  lead  us  to  his  tribe,  where  we  may  be 
lucky  enough  to  meet,  some  day  or  other,  with  the  mer- 
chants who  come  to  trade  with  the  blacks." 

While  they  talked  the  Australian  stood  motionless  and 
impassive,  watching  them.  The  poor  fellow  was  extremely 
thin ;  he  cast  occasional  greedy  glances  at  the  supply  of 
smoked  kangaroo  meat  which  filled  Penguin's  bag.  The 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  239 

latter  offered  him  a  few  pieces,  which  he  eagerly  de- 
voured. 

Won  by  this  charitable  deed,  the  savage  waved  his  hand 
towards  the  east,  as  if  inviting  the  boys  to  follow  him  in 
that  direction.  In  fact,  the  two  cabin  boys  had  no  sooner 
collected  their  little  baggage  than  the  Australian  marched 
off,  glancing  behind  him  ever  and  anon,  and  smiling  with 
satisfaction  as  he  saw  that  his  invitation  was  understood 
and  accepted. 

The  road,  taken  by  the  black  man  and  his  companions, 
led  away  from  the  river  and  climbed  the  hill,  here  made 
up  of  huge  rocks,  intermingled  with  briers  and  bushes. 
As  they  ascended,  the  vast  panorama  of  the  valley  of  the 
Glenelg  lay  unfolded  before  them,  with  its  magnificent  park, 
sprinkled  with  superb  trees.  Finally,  after  an  hour's  clam- 
ber, they  reached  the  border  of  a  barren  plain  stretching 
far  away  to  the  foot  of  high  blue  mountains.  Half-dried 
pools,  covered  with  a  saline  efflorescence,  shone  like  mir- 
rors on  the  vast  plain.  Beside  one  of  these  puddles  of 
watel*  stood  a  wretched  tent,  made  of  kangaroo-skins 
propped  up  with  bits  of  wood.  This  was  the  home  of  the 
savage,  who  showed  it  to  them  with  pride ;  and  as  they 
approached  it  he  uttered  two  guttural  cries,  which  brought 
from  the  hovel  a  woman  in  scanty  clothing  and  two  naked 
children. 

At  sight  of  the  strangers  the  little  savages  ran  shriek- 
ing back  into  the  tent ;  but  the  mother  came  forward, 


240  MR.    FRIDAY. 

fearlessly,  and  greeted  the  boys  with  the  sacramental 
"  Good  man !  good  man  !  " 

She  did  not  seem  to  understand  English  any  better  than 
her  husband,  but  she  appeared  rather  more  intelligent ; 
and  Penguin  having  executed  a  lively  pantomime,  pointing 
in  turn  to  Daniel  and  to  the  distant  horizon,  the  woman 
pointed  to  the  mountain,  probably  meaning  that  the  white 
men  lived  in  that  direction. 

"  We  are  saved ! "  cried  Penguin.  "  If  there  are  Eng- 
lishmen in  this  region  these  good  people  will  take  us  to 
them." 

And,  in  a  moment  of  effusion,  he  rushed  towards  the 
negress  and  kissed  her  several  times. 

Before  nightfall  the  lads  were  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  every  member  of  the  Australian  family,  —  "  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Friday,  and  all  the  little  Fridays,"  as  Daniel  romanti- 
cally christened  them. 

Next  day  however,  after  a  night  spent,  not  in  the  tent 
but  just  outside  the  miserable  affair,  our  two  friends  tried 
to  make  their  host  understand  that  they  were  anxious  to 
start  off  again.  The  savage  merely  shook  his  head  and 
pointed  towards  the  valley  of  the  Glenelg ;  then,  picking 
up  two  curiously  shaped  bits  of  wood  which  were  lying  on 
the  ground,  he  feigned  to  leave  the  tent.  Daniel  and  Pen- 
guin clung  to  him,  and  by  their  gestures  entreated  him 
not  to  forsake  them.  Poor  Mr.  Friday  seemed  greatly 
puzzled ;  finally,  spying  out  the  smoked  meat  which  Pen- 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  241 

gum  carried  in  his  bag,  he  took  a  piece  in  his  hand  and 
waved  it  wildly  towards  the  valley;  then  turning  towards 
the  mountain,  he  scraped  up  a  handful  of  sand  and  pre- 
tended to  put  it  into  his  mouth. 

"  Good  man  ! "  cried  the  Canadian,  "  I  understand." 
"  What  does  he  mean  ?  "  asked  the  mystified  Daniel 
"  Mr.  Friday  wants  to  explain  to  us  that  before  leaving, 
he  must  go  down  into  the  valley  to  get  a  supply  of  kanga- 
roo meat,  because,  to  reach  the  mountain,  we  must  cross  a 
desert  where  there  is  nothing  but  sand." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !  "  said  Daniel.  "  Do  you  speak  the  sav- 
age's language,  that  you  understood  all  that  so  quickly  ? " 
and,  turning  to  the  Australian,  he  said,  "  Good  man  !  We 
will  go  with  you." 

Seeing  that  they  followed  him,  armed  with  their  bows, 
the  Australian  trotted  down  the  valley  road. 

Eeaching  the  river,  the  hunters  saw  a  flock  of  kangaroos 
browsing  near  by.  Daniel  and  Penguin  were  taking  aim, 
when  the  Australian  stopped  them  with  a  gesture.  Taking 
an  attitude  worthy  of  an  antique  statue,  he  whirled  round 
his  head  one  of  the  curious  bits  of  hard  wood  with  which 
he  had  armed  himself,  and  sent  it  whistling  through  the 
air,  striking  a  kangaroo,  which  fell  heavily  to  the  ground. 
Before  the  panic-stricken  herd  had  tune  to  escape,  the 
savage  had  flung  his  second  stick ;  but  he  was  probably  too 
hasty,  for  the  weapon,  missing  its  aim,  went  whizzing  over 
the  head  of  the  animal  chosen,  then,  turning  in  its  course, 

16 


242  MR.   FRIDAY. 

came  back  as  quickly  as  it  went,  and  fell  at  the  Austra- 
lian's feet. 

The  boys  were  stupefied,  not  at  the  amazing  skill  of  the 
savage,  but  at  the  marvellous  power  of  the  weapon,  which, 
missing  its  aim,  returned  of  its  own  accord  to  the  hunter's 
hand. 

Once  more  Daniel  and  Penguin  agreed  that  they  must 
have  dropped  upon  an  enchanted  island. 

Neither  of  them  had  ever  heard  of  the  boomerang, 
that  strange  weapon  carved  by  the  Australians  from  the 
wood  of  the  gum-tree,  which,  uniting  the  two  forms  of 
motion,  the  projectile  and  the  rotary,  returns  to  the  point 
from  which  it  started,  after  describing  a  long  elliptical 
course. 

Their  bows  and  arrows  now  seemed  to  them  very  ordi- 
nary and  commonplace  inventions ;  so  leaving  the  savage  to 
continue  the  chase  alone,  the  two  friends  busied  them- 
selves with  dressing  the  dead  kangaroo,  and,  having  lighted 
a  large  fire,  they  smoked  the  meat.  Mrs.  Friday,  accom- 
panied by  her  interesting  offspring,  hastened  up  to  offer  her 
assistance,  and  the  day  was  spent  in  preparing  the  animals 
killed  by  the  Australian. 

This  went  on  for  two  days  more.  The  savages  had  evi- 
dently come  to  the  edge  of  this  valley  to  renew  their  stock 
of  meat,  and  it  was  owing  to  this  circumstance  that  the 
castaways  had  met  them. 

At  last  Mr.  Friday,  doubtless  satisfied  with  the  result  of 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  243 

his  prowess,  gave  the  signal  to  depart.  The  dried  meat 
was  divided  into  packages  wrapped  in  eucalyptus  leaves, 
and  the  travellers,  black  and  white,  each  taking  his  portion, 
the  little  band  returned  to  the  plain.  There  the  tent,  being 
taken  down,  was  soon  transformed  into  two  large  blankets, 
in  which  the  Australian  and  his  wife  majestically  draped 
themselves.  Then,  casting  a  farewell  glance  at  the  lovely 
valley  of  the  Glenelg,  Daniel  and  Penguin  set  forth  into  the 
desert  with  their  guides. 

For  a  week  the  little  party  travelled  over  a  horrid  plain, 
baked  by  the  sun.  By  day  the  travellers  paused  for 
a  few  moments  only,  to  devour  a  morsel  of  kangaroo  meat, 
barely  warmed  through  over  a  brush-fire,  and  to  drink  a 
little  brackish  water.  At  night  they  stretched  themselves 
on  the  sand,  and  the  two  cabin  boys  were  glad  to  wrap 
themselves  in  one  of  the  Australian's  blankets ;  for  the 
nocturnal  radiation  being  very  great  on  those  high  plains, 
the  atmosphere  was  cold  and  piercing.  At  last  they  reached 
the  fine  chain  of  mountains  to  which  the  English  colonists 
have  given  the  name  of  Pyrenees. 

Our  two  friends  fancied  that  they  had  reached  their 
journey's  end ;  they  supposed  that  this  region  was  inhab- 
ited by  Europeans.  Their  disappointment  was  therefore 
very  great  when  they  saw  their  guide  plunge  down  into 
lonely  valleys,  and  lead  them  through  goat-tracks,  over 
steep  places  where  the  wind  almost  swept  them  away. 
From  these  heights  they  could  look  down  upon  endless 


244  MR.  FRIDAY. 

plains ;  the  sea  was  nowhere  visible.  "  Our  island  must 
be  very  big,"  thought  they. 

The  Australian  children  had  soon  grown  used  to  the 
presence  of  the  strangers.  Young  as  they  were,  these  lit- 
tle creatures  climbed  over  rocks  and  ran  about  all  day 
long  without  any  appearance  of  fatigue.  Daniel  and  Pen- 
guin became  very  fond  of  them,  and  in  any  difficult  or 
dangerous  place  each  would  take  one  of  the  young 
ones  on  his  back.  The  stolid  Australian  simply  mut- 
tered his  eternal  "  Good  man ! "  but  the  poor  mother, 
stooping  under  the  burden  which  she  bore,  cast  affection- 
ate, grateful  glances  at  the  two  boys,  and  thanked  them 
with  some  soft  word  from  whose  tone  they  gathered  its 
sense. 

How  long  they  had  been  wandering  in  these  mountains 
neither  Daniel  nor  Penguin  could  tell.  They  had  neglected 
to  keep  any  account  of  the  days  since  they  started  out. 
It  was  plain,  at  any  rate,  that  their  guide  was  leading  them 
along  the  topmost  crest  of  the  mountains.  Every  time  that 
they  tried  to  coax  him  down  towards  the  plain,  the  sa\-age 
feigned  a  ludicrous  fright  and  refused  to  change  his 
course. 

"  I  am  familiar  with  savages,"  said  Penguin.  "  This 
fellow  undoubtedly  knows  what  he  is  about,  and  we  must 
take  care  not  to  vex  him,  unless  we  want  him  to  abandon 
us.  Perhaps  the  plain  which  we  see  over  yonder  is  in- 
habited by  hostile  tribes,  among  whom  we  should  be  ex- 


ching  the  top,  he  showed  them  the  plain  below."  —  Page  247. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  247 

posed  to  the  same  dangers  as  himself.  We  must  make  up 
our  minds  to  follow  him  wherever  he  leads." 

And  they  still  walked  meekly  on,  exhausted  and  some- 
what discouraged  though  they  were.  The  farther  they  ad- 
vanced, the  more  wild  and  rugged  the  mountain  became. 
The  peaks  rising  around  them  hid  the  plain,  and  they  went 
through  deep  ravines,  where  mad  torrents  had  dug,  through 
the  quartz  rock,  watercourses  sparkling  with  crystals. 

One  morning,  after  a  frugal  meal  set  off  by  a  few  sour 
berries,  the  two  boys  were  making  ready  for  a  fresh  start 
when  their  friend  Friday,  stepping  gravely  before  them, 
made  them  climb  a  rock  overlooking  the  southern  wall  of 
the  ravine.  Eeaching  the  top,  he  showed  them  the  plain 
below,  saying  solemnly :  "  Good  man  ! " 

Sudden  and  unexpected  joy  may  be  as  terrible  as  mis- 
fortune. The  prisoner  who  has  spent  years  in  a  gloomy 
cell  is  blinded  by  the  sight  of  the  sun.  The  unfortunate 
wretch  who,  wandering  in  the  catacombs,  recovers  the  guid- 
ing thread  which  his  feverish  hand  has  vainly  sought,  falls 
fainting  to  the  ground.  So  the  two  poor  boys  stood  stupe- 
fied and  overwhelmed,  staring  at  the  plain  pointed  out  to 
them  by  the  stolid  savage.  Their  eyes  beheld  many  houses 
standing  amidst  blooming  gardens ;  they  saw  before  them, 
in  the  distance,  a  great  city,  surrounded  by  tall,  smoking 
chimneys ;  they  felt  the  stir  and  bustle  of  civilization  all 
around  them :  but  their  heads  swam,  their  hearts  almost 
ceased  to  beat,  and  they  felt  that  this  cruel  mirage  must 


248  MR  FRIDAY. 

kill  them.  Yes,  it  was  indeed  an  enchanted  island,  and 
the  black  savage  who  had  led  them  thus  far  was  a  demon, 
who  conjured  up  this  deceitful  vision  that  he  might  revel 
in  their  agony  before  he  lured  them  yet  farther  into  his 
hell  of  sand,  rocks,  and  monsters  with  bird's  beak  and  ser- 
pent's tail ! 

But  the  Australian  continued  to  repeat  his  eternal 
sing-song  "  Good  man ! "  These  words  were  the  talis- 
man which  finally  roused  Penguin  from  his  stupor. 

"  Yes,  you  are  a  good  man,  a  noble  fellow,  in  spite  of 
your  black  skin,"  he  cried,  falling  upon  his  neck.  "  I  wish 
that  I  had  all  the  treasures  of  the  earth  to  reward  you 
with." 

Daniel  wept,  and  his  heart  stole  gradually  back  to  life. 
He  too  embraced  the  savage  and  Mrs.  Friday  and  the  little 
niggers. 

Now  that  they  felt  that  this  paradise  was  no  illusion, 
that  a  reality  was  before  them,  they  longed  to  enter  into 
it.  But  the  Australian  refused  to  go  a  step  farther ;  to  all 
their  prayers  and  entreaties,  he  merely  replied  by  pointing 
to  the  north.  They  were  therefore  obliged  to  part.  The 
boys  kissed  the  poor  savages  once  more,  and  gave  them  all 
they  owned,  the  axe,  the  bark  kettles,  and  their  sash-bags, 
—  simple  presents  ;  then,  after  a  final  farewell,  they  went 
down  into  the  valley.  When  they  had  gone  some  distance 
they  turned  to  look  behind,  and  saw  the  Friday  family  still 
standing  on  a  rock,  gazing  after  them. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  249 

An  hour  after,  they  entered  upon  a  well-trodden  road. 
Close  beside  them,  in  a  field,  a  European  shepherd  watched 
a  flock  of  sheep.  Trembling  with  emotion,  they  ap- 
proached him. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  Penguin  ;  "  but  can  you  tell  us 
where  we  are  ?  " 

"  On  the  road  from  Ballarat  to  Melbourne,"  was  the  curt 
reply. 

"  What  is  the  name  of  the  city  which  lies  before  us  ?  " 

"  Melbourne,  of  course." 

"  But  then  we  are  in  Australia,  are  n't  we,  sir  ? "  asked 
Daniel  in  faltering  tones. 

"  Unless  you  think  you  are  in  the  moon !  "  said  the  ill- 
tempered  shepherd.  And  seeing  that  the  French  boy 
leaned  on  his  friend  for  support  at  this  amazing  news,  he 
added  in  a  surly  voice :  "  I  see  that  you  are  both  drunk, 
which  is  shameful  for  boys  of  your  age ;  if  it  was  n't  for 
that,  I  would  teach  you  not  to  play  bad  jokes  on  a  respect- 
able man  like  me." 


Daniel  listened  eagejly." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MELBOURNE. 

MELBOURNE  is  one  of  the  youngest  cities  in  the  world. 
In  1851,  a  thick  forest  of  gum-trees,  among  which  the 
Australian  savage  roamed  in  chase  of  kangaroos,  still  cov- 
ered the  spot  now  occupied  by  this  city,  which  sprang  from 
the  earth  as  if  by  magic,  with  its  vast  wards  and  districts 
containing  more  than  300,000  inhabitants,  its  magnificent 
streets,  its  countless  monuments  and  statues,  and  its  har- 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  253 

bor,  towards  which  hundreds  of  ships  are  constantly  press- 
ing from  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  The  magician  who 
conjured  up  this  sudden  transformation,  who  uttered  the 
mystical  spell,  was  the  monarch  Gold. 

Here,  as  in  California,  the  discovery  of  gold  in  1854,  at- 
tracted a  swarm  of  greedy  adventurers,  who,  digging  up 
the  earth  and  turning  it  over  and  over,  brought  forth  the 
precious  metal  in  quantities  and  scattered  luxury  and 
wealth  broadcast  over  the  land  hitherto  deserted  and  for- 
saken. Lured  by  the  greed  for  gold,  farmers  left  their 
fields,  merchants  their  shops,  sailors  their  ships.  A  tre- 
mendous army  of  invaders  poured  into  this  part  of  Aus- 
tralia. 

Melbourne  became  the  capital  of  the  gold-diggers ; 
thither  they  returned  with  their  suddenly  acquired  riches, 
and  demanded  hotels,  theatres,  taverns,  and  gambling  sa- 
loons, where  they  could  squander  the  vile  metal  which 
they  had  all  too  easily  won. 

The  new  city,  born  so  abruptly,  led  a  feverish,  exciting 
life,  in  nothing  like  the  existence  of  other  peaceful  lands. 
The  miners  who  came -back  rich  went  away  poor ;  fortunes 
were  made  and  lost  with  equal  speed ;  but  every  day  fresh 
treasures  were  found,  and  with  them  the  gold  fever  raged 
anew. 

It  was,  therefore,  scarcely  likely  that  any  of  the  many 
people  who  thronged  the  broad  sidewalks  of  Swanston 
Street,  on  the  tenth  of  October,  1865,  would  waste  a  glance 


254  MELBOURNE. 

on  the  two  lads  in  ragged  clothes,  who  walked  through  the 
great  city  with  haggard  faces  and  wondering  eyes.  Any- 
where else  some  charitable  soul  would  have  taken  pity  on 
their  wretched  appearance  and  their  wan  faces,  stamped 
with  the  marks  of  want  and  fatigue :  but  here  no  one 
turned  his  head  ;  all  hastened  onward  as  if  rushing  towards 
some  mysterious  and  invisible  goal. 

Daniel  and  Penguin  had  reached  the  first  houses  of  Mel- 
bourne some  hours  before,  and  ever  since  had  been  wan- 
dering vaguely  about  the  streets,  walking  on  and  on,  as  if 
to  get  farther  into  the  heart  of  the  city,  to  gain  more  com- 
plete assurance  of  the  deliverance  whose  unexpectedness 
still  made  their  brains  reel.  Little  by  little  the  sensation 
became  less  acute  ;  then  both,  without  exchanging  a  word, 
felt  so  alone,  so  deserted,  in  the  midst  of  this  busy,  selfish 
throng,  that  they  began  to  regret  the  desert  and  their  al- 
most happy  life  there. 

"  Poor  Friday,"  said  Penguin  at  last,  "  he  was  really 
good ! " 

"  And  our  lovely  valley,  with  its  tall  trees  and  sparkling 
river ! "  said  Daniel ;  and  completing  his  thought,  he  added : 
"What  is  to  become  of  us  here,  pennniless  and  friend- 
less?" 

"  For  my  part,  I  am  fairly  starving,"  replied  the  Cana- 
dian ;  "  and,  as  I  very  much  doubt  whether  the  Melbourne 
landlords  will  trust  us  on  our  good  looks,  I  think  we  had 
better  eat  a  little  of  our  dried  meat." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  255 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "we  can  consider  our  situation  after- 
wards. Luckily,  I  did  not  leave  our  whole  stock  of  pro- 
visions with  Mr.  Friday ;  we  have  enough  to  live  on  for 
several  days." 

They  accordingly  sat  down  on  the  curb-stone  and  ate  a 
few  mouthfuls  of  meat. 

"  The  most  essential  thing  now,"  said  Penguin,  "  is  to 
scrape  up  a  little  money  somehow,  so  that  we  can  spend 
the  night  at  some  tavern.  We  are  no  longer  in  the  desert, 
and  if  the  policemen  found  us  sleeping  in  the  open  air, 
they  would  be  quite  capable  of  offering  us  shelter  at  the 
the  police-station,  and  I  have  no  taste  for  the  kind  of 
society  to  be  met  with  there." 

"  Neither  have  I,"  said  Daniel ;  "  but  how  are  we  going 
to  set  about  earning  our  money  ? " 

"  That  is  the  embarrassing  part  of  it ;  still  we  can't  beg. 
Perhaps  fortune  will  favor  us." 

They  accordingly  continued  to  walk  on  in  search  of  a 
job  ;  but  evening  drew  near,  and  none  had  offered.  Sud- 
denly they  saw  a  sort  of  big  omnibus  coming  towards 
them,  drawn  by  six  strong  horses.  Wagon  and  horses 
were  both  white  with  dust.  The  coachman  cracked  his  whip 
cheerily.  The  coach  had  evidently  come  from  a  long  dis- 
tance. 

"  There 's  our  chance,"  cried  Penguin.  "  Come  on, 
Daniel ! "  And  he  ran  after  the  wagon. 

A  moment  later   it   drew  up   before   the   coach-office. 


256  MELBOURNE. 

Two  policemen  got  out  first,  armed  with  guns,  then  came 
a  man  who  might  be  taken  for  their  prisoner,  he  looked  so 
like  a  robber  with  his  torn  clothes  and  unshaven  chin. 

Daniel  made  a  wry  face  when  he  saw  the  contents  of  the 
stage.  However,  the  officers  walked  away ;  the  man  left 
behind,  paid  the  conductor  his  fare  and  throwing  a  big 
bundle  of  clothes  over  his  shoulder,  prepared  to  go  on.  An 
idea  flashed  through  Penguin's  brain.  What  if  the  stran- 
ger were  a  digger  returning  from  the  mines  ?  Then,  in  spite 
of  his  destitute  air,  he  was  probably  rich,  perhaps  gener. 
ous,  at  any  rate  vain.  Without  an  instant's  delay  the 
Canadian  went  up  to  the  traveller,  and,  respectfully  pull- 
ing off  his  cap,  said  humbly:  "Shall  I  carry  my  lord's 
baggage  up  to  the  hotel  ? " 

"  That 's  a  good  idea ! "  exclaimed  the  stranger.    "  I  must 
say  I  was  a  fool  to  take  so  much  trouble."     And  flinging . 
his  bundle  to  Penguin,  he  added :  "  Go  on,  my  boy,  and 
take  me  to  the  best  hotel  in  Melbourne.     You  shall  be 
well  paid,  never  fear." 

The  Canadian  did  not  know  which  was  the  best  hotel  in 
Melbourne.  But,  without  a  word,  he  turned  up  Swanston 
Street,  closely  followed  by  the  miner,  and  seeing  one  of  the 
huge  caravansaries  newly  built  there,  he  led  the  traveller 
to  the  door.  In  spite  of  his  poverty-stricken  appearance, 
he  was  received  with  every  mark  of  the  most  profound  re- 
spect. 

Daniel,  who  had  followed  them  at  a  distance,  although 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  257 

he  did  not  understand  his  companion's  manoeuvre,  soon 
saw  him  come  out  of  the  hotel  and  run  gayly  up  to  him. 

"  I  made  a  good  guess,"  shouted  Penguin,  "  he  was  a  dig- 
ger. It  seems  that  he  has  just  come  from  the  mines  with  a 
pocket  full  of  gold,  and  also  with  a  desire  to  make  up  for 
his  long  privations.  See  what  he  gave  me  for  carrying  his 
bundle  a  few  steps." 

"  A  dollar  ? " 

"  No,  much  better,  —  a  two  dollar  and  a  half  gold  piece. 
Now  we  will  look  for  a  hotel,  but  we  had  better  choose  a 
less  aristocratic  quarter."  » 

Going  down  Swanston  Street,  the  two  cabin  boys  reached 
the  harbor.  There,  about  the  wharves,  were  numerous 
taverns,  whose  humble  exterior  gave  no  promise  of  luxury 
or  of  comfort,  but  merely  of  cheap  quarters.  Among 
these,  the  boys  soon  saw  one,  perhaps  rather  dirtier  than 
the  rest,  with  a  lantern  hanging  before  it  and  shining 
through  the  darkness.  Upon  the  lantern  was  the  name : 
"  The  Jolly  Companions,  French  Hotel." 

"  Let  us  go  in  here,"  said  Daniel.  "  We  may  find  fellow 
countrymen  who  .will  help  us." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Canadian. 

And,  pushing  open  the  glass  door,  they  entered  a  low, 
smoky  room,  so  dimly  lighted  by  a  kerosene  lamp  that 
they  could  scarcely  see  the  dozen  tables  which  stood  about 
the  room  and  were  occupied  by  a  crowd  of  sailors,  drinking, 
singing  and  making  a  frightful  din. 

17 


258  MELBOURNE. 

Penguin  made  a  bargain  with  the  landlord  to  let  him  have 
a  room  with  two  cot-beds  for  the  sum  of  fifty  cents,  which 
he  paid  in  advance.  Then  he  ordered  a  simple  dinner,  and 
the  friends  sat  down  in  one  corner  without  attracting  the 
attention  of  their  riotous  neighbors. 

But  this  was  not  the  only  room  on  the  ground  floor  of 
the  Jolly  Companions.  As  is  the  custom  in  similar  places, 
a  small  room,  shut  off  from  the  common  hall  by  a  parti- 
tion, was  reserved  for  distinguished  guests  or  those  fond  of 
seclusion. 

This  partition,  however,  but  partially  glazed,  proved  a 
trifling  barrier,  and  the  two  boys  heard  occasional  shouts 
from  the  gay  party  established  on  the  other  side. 

Penguin,  having  swallowed  his  soup  and  a  few  bits  of 
bread,  put  his  head  on  the  table  and  fell  asleep,  overcome 
by  fatigue. 

Daniel  was  dreaming  with  his  eyes  wide  open ;  he  still 
heard  the  words :  "It  is  Australia ! "  ringing  in  his  ears, 
but  his  tired  brain  refused  to  take  up  the  thread  of  as- 
sociation. Why  was  he  so  anxious  to  come  to  this  coun- 
try ?  He  had  quite  forgotten. 

Suddenly  he  seemed  to  catch  these  words  above  all  the 
noise,  "  Mine  .  .  .  secret  .  .  .  treasure  ..."  uttered  on 
the  other  side  of  the  partition.  He  listened  eagerly,  and  a 
loud  voice  immediately  added  :  — 

"  You  can  keep  your  secret  to  yourself.  I  would  n't  give 
you  five  cents  for  it.  Every  man  that  lauds  here  has  a 
secret  or  a  plan  in  his  pocket  —  " 


THE   TWO   CABIN    BOYS.  259 

"  What  's  the  use  of  screaming  so  loud  ? "  said  another 
and  an  angry  voice. 

Then  silence  reigned,  or  at  least  Daniel  could  hear  noth- 
ing more.  But  that  was  enough  for  him.  He  waked  Pen- 
guin, and  they  went  to  the  wretched  garret  where  they 
were  to  sleep. 

The  Canadian  instantly  threw  himself  upon  the  bed,  and 
in  a  second  his  snores  shook  the  walls.  As  for  Daniel, 
taking  his  knife  from  his  pocket,  he  ripped  a  seam  in 
liis  pantaloons  and  took  out  a  scrap  of  paper  which  he  be- 
gan to  read  attentively. 

It  was  Bastien  Moreau's  plan. 


"The  French  boy  looked  up." 


CHAPTER  XXL 


OLD   SCHEMES   AND   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE. 

\ 

DANIEL  was  sleeping  soundly  when  he  heard  Penguin's 
merry  voice  shouting  to  him : 

"  Come,  lazy-bones,  get  up  !  It  is  nine  o'clock  already 
and  more  than  time  to  set  to  work,  for  we  must  earn  our 
dinner  and  our  next  night's  lodging." 

The  young  French  boy  rubbed  his  eyes.     After  re-read- 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  261 

ing  the  extract  from  Bastien's  journal,  he  had  gone  to  sleep 
with  his  mind  full  of  bright  prospects,  —  prospects  which 
his  dreams  at  once  turned  to  reality.  Rich,  weighed  down 
with  gold,  he  saw  himself  making  a  triumphant  entry  into 
the  best  hotel  in  Melbourne ;  the  servants  bowed  to  the 
ground  before  him ;  all  hastened  to  forestall  his  least  de- 
sire, —  and  suddenly,  at  the  sound  of  Penguin's  voice,  he 
woke  and  found  himself  in  a  squalid  garret,  where  the  day- 
light struggled  dimly  through  a  narrow,  dirty,  grated 
window.  Bitter  disillusion !  Would  the  dream  never 
come  true  ? 

Daniel  heaved  a  sigh  and  got  up. 

"  You  sigh  ! "  said  Penguin.  "  Yet  I  think  I  Ve  let  you 
have  a  good  long  nap.  But  we  are  not  here  to  amuse  our- 
selves. We  shall  soon  come  to  the  end  of  our  last  dollar. 
What  shall  we  do  then  ? " 

"  You  are  right,"  said  Daniel.  "  We  must  try  to  find 
some  work  which  will  support  us.  I  don't  think  that  will 
be  hard ;  for,  by  what  I  have  heard,  workmen  are  very 
scarce  in  these  parts,  especially  since  the  discovery  of  the 
gold  mines."  ' 

"  Our  best  plan,"  continued  Penguin,  "  is  to  try  to  find  a 
good  captain,  and  embark  as  soon  as  possible.  I  've  had 
quite  enough  of  this  place,  where  everything  is  topsy-turvy, 
where  beggars  are  great  lords,  where  savages  are  more 
charitable  than  white  men,  where  birds  are  quadrupeds, 
and  trees  have  neither  fruit  nor  shade." 


262      OLD  SCHEMES  AND  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE. 

"But  surely  you  know  that  we  cannot  possibly  leave 
Australia." 

"  How  so  ?     I  know  no  reason  to  the  contrary." 

"  Of  course  you  don't,"  said  Daniel  with  some  embarrass- 
ment. Then,  giving  the  Canadian's  hand  an  affectionate 
squeeze,  he  added : 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  Martial.  I  love  you  better  than  a 
common  friend,  you  are  like  a  brother  to  me.  I  owe  you 
so  much  already  that  I  don't  know  how  I  shall  ever  be 
able  to  pay  my  debt  of  gratitude.  You  have  saved  my  life 
twice  over  —  " 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  interrupted  the  Canadian.  "  I  only 
did  what  you  would  have  done  in  my  place." 

"  Well,  then  I  love  you  because  you  are  good,  far  better 
than  I  am.  So,  if  I  did  not  confide  my  secret  to  you 
sooner,  and  bare  my  whole  soul  to  you,  it  was  because  my 
conscience  sometimes  reproached  me  with  my  past  conduct, 
and  I  feared  your  clear  eyes  would  make  me  blush.  But 
I  will  be  frank  ;  you  shall  know  all  and  you  shall  decide 
what  is  to  be  done." 

Then  Daniel  told  Penguin  his  whole  history,  from  the 
time  he  left  Castel,  until  he  shipped  with  Captain  Green ; 
he  explained  how  he  was  led  to  open  the  miner's  portfolio ; 
then  he  told  of  Dominic's  flight  and  the  chance  discovery 
of  Bastien  Moreau's  plan. 

The  story  ended,  Daniel  bowed  his  head  and  awaited  his 
friend's  decision.  The  latter  reflected  for  some  time;  at 
last  he  asked :  — 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  263 

"  Do  you  know  what  became  of  Mrs.  Moreau  ? " 

"  Did  n't  I  tell  you  that  she  left  Cette  without  giving 
any  one  her  address  ? " 

"Well,  I  will  tell  you  plainly,"  continued  Penguin, 
"  that  the  only  thing  for  which  I  blame  you  in  this  affair, 
is  for  going  off  without  making  every  possible  effort  to 
find  the  miner's  widow.  Only  fancy,  perhaps  the  poor 
woman  does  not  yet  know  that  her  husband  is  dead ;  she 
may  not  have  heard  of  the  fortune  that  he  left  her, 
and  may  have  been  absolutely  in  want  for  the  last  two 
years." 

"  What  can  I  do  ? "  asked  Daniel. 

"  First  of  all,  you  must  try  to  pick  up  some  information 
about  Bastien  Moreau  here.  Did  n't  he  tell,  you  that  his 
whole  fortune  was  invested  in  stock  in  Victoria  ? " 

"  Yes,  in  Melbourne  and  the  neighborhood." 

"  Heaven  knows  what  may  have  become  of  that  fortune, 
there  being  no  one  to  take  care  of  it,  in  a  country  which 
is  the  meeting-place  of  all  the  robbers  on  earth.  At  any 
rate,  since  a  lucky  chance  placed  Bastien's  secret  in  your 
hands,  we  must  try  to  recover  the  treasure ;  and  when  we 
have  found  it,  we  will  go  back  to  France  and  give  Mrs. 
Moreau  all  this  gold,  which  honestly  belongs  to  her.  Is  n't 
that  what  you  would  wish  to  do  ? " 

Daniel  blushed.  He  hesitated,  but  overcoming  all  false 
shame,  he  said: 

"  No,  Martial,  that  is  not  what  I  should  do.     When  this 


264  OLD   SCHEMES   AND   OLD  ACQUAINTANCE. 

paper  fell  into  my  hands,  I  thought  of  myself  only;  it 
seemed  to  me  that  the  treasure  was  mine ;  I  felt  that  I  was 
rich  already  —  " 

"  Oh  !   that  was  wrong,"  interrupted  Penguin. 

"  I  knew  that  it  was  not  right.  The  secret  weighed  me 
down,  and  oppressed  me ;  and  the  simple,  honest  solution 
to  the  puzzle,  which  you  propose,  never  occurred  to  me. 
You  are  right ;  we  must  find  the  treasure,  and  restore  it  to 
Mrs.  Moreau.  Oh !  how  happy  I  am !  I  wish  I  were  as 
good  as  you  are  ! " 

And,  with  a  burst  of  gratitude,  he  fell  upon  his  friend's 
neck  and  hugged  him  with  all  his  might. 

"  You  are  better  than  you  think,"  said  Penguin,  return- 
ing the  embrace ;  "  only  you  do  not  always  see  quite 
clearly,  and  then  you  rush  blindly  forward  without  stop- 
ping to  consider  that  you  may  run  against  a  stone 
wall." 

Then,  to  conclude  this  simple  moral  lesson,  he  added : 

"  Let  me  see  this  famous  plan." 

Daniel  drew  it  from  its  hiding  place,  unfolded  it  and 
laid  it  on  the  table  before  Penguin,  who  studied  it  atten- 
tively. 

"Do  you  know  where  the  Murray  and  the  Murrum- 
bidgee  are  ? "  he  asked. 

".Gracious,  no  !  "  said  Daniel.  "  All  that  I  could  gather 
from  Bastien's  journal  is  that  this  place  is  in  the  interior 
of  the  country,  in  the  heart  of  a  desert." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  265 

"  Good  gracious  !  How  are  we  to  get  there  ?  It 's  not 
so  easy  to  make  a  long  journey  in  this  wild  country,  as  we 
know  from  experience.  Then  •  we  shall  have  to  buy  tools 
and  provisions,  which  will  cost  us  a  pretty  penny,  and 
just  at  present  we  have  only  one  dollar,  exactly  enough  to 
pay  for  our  breakfast  this  morning ;  for  this  wretched  inn 
is  as  dear  as  the  best  hotel  in  Quebec." 

"Well,  we  will  wait  until  we  have  earned  a  little 
money,"  said  Daniel.  "  We  will  work  hard." 

"  That 's  right.  While  we  work,  we  can  collect  the 
necessary  information,  and  we  will  not  start  on  our  jour- 
ney until  we  can  go  well  equipped.  It 's  a  bargain.  Now 
let  us  eat  a  few  mouthfuls  and  then  we  can  decide  what 
to  do  next." 

They  went  down  into  the  large  saloon  and  ordered 
breakfast.  The  room  was  very  dark,  although  the  sun 
shone  brightly  outside,  and  in  the  half-light  which  pre- 
vailed, the  two  boys  did  not  notice  a  man  sitting  alone  at 
a  table  near  theirs.  The  stranger,  on  the  contrary,  stared 
curiously  at  the  new  arrivals.  Probably  satisfied  with  the 
result  of  his  examination,  he  rose  and  walked  boldly  up  to 
the  young  men. 

"  Well,"  said  he  to  Daniel,  "  was  n't  I  right  when  I  said 
that  sailors  were  always  meeting  ? " 

The  French  boy  looked  up,  and  exclaimed :  "  Dominic !  " 

"  The  very  same,"  said  the  sailor ;  then,  turning  to  the 
Canadian,  he  added :  "  Mr.  Penguin,  I  believe  ? " 


266      OLD  SCHEMES  AND  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE. 

"  Just  so,"  said  the  boy. 

The  two  lads  looked  at  each  other  in  some  embarrass- 
ment ;  but  the  sailor,  not  at  all  disconcerted  by  their  chilly 
reception  of  him,  pulled  a  stool  up  to  the  table  and  sat 
down,  shouting  to  the  servant : 

"  You  can  serve  my  breakfast  with  these  gentlemen's 
order." 

Then,  addressing  Martial: 

"  You  can't  think  how  glad  I  am  to  be  among  friends 
again,  for  you  will  permit  me  to  consider  you  as  such, 
Mr.  Penguin,  I  hope.  Our  friends'  friends  are  our 
friends,  aren't  they?  That  is  an  old  proverb,"  he  said, 
laughing. 

The  Canadian  did  not  answer  this  amiable  remark ;  but 
the  imperturbable  Dominic  continued  : 

"  I  am  all  the  gladder  to  see  my  dear  friend  Daniel 
again,  because  I  really  have  a  great  many  apologies  to 
make  to  him.  Imagine,  when  I  left  the  Three  Parrots, 
I  was  so  unhappy  at  parting  with  my  young  friend  and 
ward  that  I  ran  off  like  a  thief  in  the  night.  I  snatched 
my  bundle  of  duds  from  the  drawer,  stuffed  it  under  my 
arm,  and  was  off." 

Daniel's  face  grew  dark  as  he  heard  this  shameless 
tale. 

"  I  went  on  board  ship,"  continued  the  sailor,  "  and 
threw  my  duds  into  a  corner,  and  never  thought  of  them 
again.  The  ship  was  bound  for  Algiers  with  a  cargo  of 


1  You  can  smv  my  breakfast  with  these  gentlemen's  order."—  Page  266. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  269 

liquors ;  from  there  we  went  back  and  forth  between 
Oran  and  Carthagena ;  finally  we  put  in  at  Madeira, 
where  the  captain  was  to  take  a  cargo  of  cochineal  —  " 

Penguin,  who  felt  little  interest  in  this  story,  could  not 
repress  a  yawn. 

"  This  don't  amuse  you,"  said  Dominic,  "  but  wait  till  I 
get  to  the  end.  At  Madeira  I  fell  in  with  you  again,  —  at 
least  with  my  young  friend,  for  I  had  not  the  honor  of 
your  acquaintance  then,  Mr.  Penguin.  I  found  you  in 
the  thick  of  the  fight,  and  was  lucky  enough  to  lend  a 
hand.  Next  day  I  was  still  rejoicing  over  our  meeting 
when  the  captain  turned  me  off  for  a  trifle.  I  paid  him 
oil',  took  up  my  bundle,  and  took  to  my  heels.  Two  hours 
after,  I  had  shipped  on  board  the  Bulldog,  bound  for  Mel- 
bourne. Once  on  board,  I  began  to  settle  myself  in  my 
new  quarters,  and  as  my  clothes  were  anything  but  fresh, 
I  thought  I  would  make  a  change.  I  opened  my  bundle, 
and,  shiver  my  timbers !  what  do  you  think  I  saw  right 
among  my  own  things  ?  You  never  could  guess ! " 

Daniel  quivered  with  excitement. 

"  Well,"  said  Dominic,  "  there  I  found,  in  my  bundle, 
Daniel's  portfolio ! " 

"  Bastien  Moreau's  portfolio  !  "  cried  both  boys. 

"  Exactly.  When  I  saw  it,"  continued  the  sailor,  "  I 
came  near  fainting.  '  Martigues,  my  friend,'  said  I  to  myself, 
'  you  are  a  ruined  man.  Your  friend,  Daniel  Riva,  will 
think  you  have  robbed  him.  The  best  thing  that  you  can  do 


270  OLD   SCHEMES   AND   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE. 

is  to  jump  head  foremost  from  the  bulwarks  and  hide  your- 
self at  the  bottom  of  the  sea.'  However,  on  consideration, 
I  said,  '  Impossible.  Daniel  Biva  knows  you ;  he  knows 
you  to  be  an  honest  man.  He  will  never  dare  to  suspect 
his  old  messmate  — ' " 

"  What  have  you  done  with  the  portfolio  ?  "  asked  Dan- 
iel, in  a  trembling  voice. 

"  Oh,  there  's  quite  a  history  connected  with  it,"  said 
the  sailor,  with  feigned  embarrassment.  "  When  I  came 
here,  every  one  was  mad  about  mining.  I  did  like  every 
one  else  and  went,  but  luck  was  against  me.  I  returned 
to  Melbourne  without  a  penny.  Then  I  remembered  the 
money  in  the  portfolio.  I  thought  that  if  you  were  here, 
you  would  never  refuse  to  help  me ;  so  I  took  the  money, 
but  not  all.  There  is  a  hundred  dollars  left ;  it  is  yours, 
and  I  am  ready  to  return  it  to  you." 

After  some  fumbling  in  his  pocket,  Dominic  pulled  out 
forty  dollars,  which  he  .offered  to  Daniel. 

"  This  is  an  instalment,"  he  added.  "  I  '11  give  you  the 
rest  as  soon  as  I  can." 

"And  the  portfolio?"  repeated  the  boy. 

"  The  portfolio  ?     Here  it  is." 

And,  with  an  air  of  studied  simplicity,  the  sailor  laid  the 
leather  case  on  the  table. 

Daniel  could  not  believe  his  eyes.  With  a  trembling 
hand  he  opened  it,  pressed  the  spring,  and  searched  the 
secret  drawer.  The  contents  were  undisturbed.  Then, 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  271 

rising,  full  of  emotion,  he  threw  his  arms  round  the  crafty 
sailor's  neck,  crying : 

"  Thank  you,  Dominic.     You  have  acted  well." 

The  sailor  stammered  a  few  excuses. 

"But,"  continued  Daniel,  "you  will  be  left  without 
money." 

"  I  sha'n't  be  rich." 

"  Well,  take  back  half  of  this.     Half  will  do  for  us." 

Dominic  pocketed  the  twenty  dollars  without  a  word. 
Then,  offering  his  hand  to  Penguin,  who  took  it  coldly,  he 
said: 

"  I  must  keep  an  appointment  now ;  but  we  will  dine 
together  to-night,  that 's  understood." 

And  he  went  away,  delighted  with  his  skilful  acting. 

For,  in  fact,  Dominic  Martigues'  story  to  the  two  cabin 
boys  was  nothing  but  an  ingeniously  woven  tissue  of  lies. 
Having  stolen  the  portfolio  entrusted  to  Daniel,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  getting  the  money,  which  it  contained,  he 
decided,  after  reading  Bastien  Moreau's  journal,  to  try  his 
luck  in  Australia.  Unfortuately  for  him,  once  there,  it  did 
not  take  him  long  to  find  out  how  vague  and  indeterminate 
was  the  information  left  behind  by  the  unfortunate  miner. 
However,  he  had  fallen  in  with  adventurers  of  a  worse 
class  than  himself,  and  had  tried  to  hunt  out  the  gold 
bearing  discovered  by  Moreau.  After  a  long  and  fruitless 
search  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  he  returned  to  Mel- 
bourne, stripped  of  everything  he  owned.  There,  by 


272  OLD   SCHEMES   AND    OLD   ACQUAINTANCE. 

haunting  the  gambling-hells  frequented  by  miners  who 
hoped  to  increase  their  fortunes  at  the  tables,  he  at  first 
managed  to  make  a  scanty  living ;  then  a  lucky  chance 
brought  him  a  large  sum. 

The  scoundrel  was  too  wily  to  trust  long  in  the  favors 
of  the  blind  goddess,  or  rather  in  the  credulity  of  ignorant 
players,  and  he  was  looking  for  some  fresh  scheme  when 
chance  threw  him  across  Daniel's  path.  At  sight  of  the 
young  man,  his  plan  was  rapidly  arranged.  He  said  to 
himself  that  the  boy  must  possess  Bastien's  secret  and 
could  clear  up  the  points  left  obscure  in  the  miner's  jour- 
nal. He  must  therefore  recover  his  lost  place  in  the 
French  boy's  esteem  at  any  price. 

We  have  seen  how  a  few  gold  pieces  and  the  restoration 
of  the  portfolio  sufficed  to  win  the  desired  result. 

Daniel,  in  fact,  was  completely  taken  in  by  Martigues' 
trick.  As  soon  as  the  latter  was  gone  he  expressed  his 
delight  to  Penguin. 

"  You  can't  think  how  glad  I  am  to  get  hold  of  that 
portfolio  again,"  he  said.  "  It  seems  as  if  the  good  resolu- 
tions which  you  persuaded  me  to  make  this  morning  were 
already  bringing  me  luck.  At  least,  if  we  find  the  treas- 
ure now,  I  can  carry  out  Mr.  Moreau's  last  wish.*.  And 
when  I  think  that  I  really  believed  that  Dominic  was 
guilty,  —  such  an  honest  man,  such  a  jolly  companion  as 
he  was ! " 

"  His  story  struck  me  as   rather  doubtful,"   remarked 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  273 

Penguin,  who  had  been  but  slightly  affected  by  Dominic's 
demonstrations  of  friendship. 

"  That  is  because  you  are  still  under  the  impression  of 
what  I  told  you  this  morning,"  said  Daniel. 

"  Perhaps  so ;  but,  at  any  rate,  we  can  get  along  very 
well  without  your  friend." 

"  On  the  contrary,  Martigues  may  prove  very  useful  to 
us.  He  knows  the  country,  he  has  money  —  " 

"  Your  money." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Daniel  hotly,  "  the  main  point  is 
that  now,  thanks  to  Dominic,  we  can  carry  out  our  project 
without  delay ;  and,  moreover,  we  shall  have  a  loyal,  trusty 
helper  in  him." 

"  Listen,"  said  Penguin.  "  It  is  not  for  me  to  accuse  a 
man  who,  after  all,  has  given  you  a  proof  of  a  certain 
amount  of  honesty.  The  only  thing  which  I  ask  of  you 
is,  that  if  he  joins  us,  you  will  not  tell  him  your  secret  un- 
til it  is  too  late  for  him  to  make  use  of  it ;  that  is,  until 
we  have  actually  reached  the  spot." 

"  I  promise  you,  dear  Martial ;  and  for  the  future 
you  shall  keep  the  plan  of  the  mine  for  better  secu- 
rity." 

The  twenty  dollars  given  to  Daniel  by  Dominic  relieved 
the  boys  from  pressing  want  for  the  present ;  so,  by  Pen- 
guin's advice,  they  at  once  set  out  in  pursuit  of  informa- 
tion concerning  Bastien  Moreau's  fortune.  They  applied 
to  the  French  consul,  the  Colonial  Grant  Office,  and  to 

18 


274      OLD  SCHEMES  AND  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE. 

various  government  offices  ;  but  wherever  they  went,  they 
received  the  same  answer : 

"No  one  of  the  name  had  ever  been  known  in  Mel- 
bourne." 

In  vain  they  insisted  that  the  man  had  been  there ; 
Moreau  had  left  no  trace  behind  him.  Then  what  had 
become  of  his  fortune  ? 

On  their  return  to  the  Jolly  Companions,  the  two 
cabin  boys  found  Dominic  waiting  for  them  at  the 
door. 

"  Come  along ! "  he  cried  as  far  off  as  he  could  see  them. 
"  It  is  past  seven  o'clock,  and  I  am  sure  our  dinner  will  be 
cold."  When  they  entered  the  house  he  pushed  them 
through  the  big  saloon,  and  led  them  into  the  private  din- 
ing-room. 

"  I  engaged  this  room,"  he  said,  "  so  that  we  might  be 
more  at  our  ease  to  celebrate  our  happy  and  providential 
encounter." 

Dinner  was  served,  and  passed  off  very  merrily,  owing 
to  the  sailor's  never-failing  flow  of  spirits.  Daniel  was  al- 
ready won  to  his  cause ;  and  even  Penguin  felt  his  suspi- 
cions gradually  fade  ;  yet  his  face  clouded  when  he  heard 
Dominic  exclaim  after  dinner : 

"  Now  let  us  talk  !  First  of  all,  Daniel,  tell  me  how  it 
happens  that  I  find  you  here  at  Melbourne  when  I  left  you 
cabin  boy  on  board  the  Atlanta." 

The  French  boy  gave  a  brief  account  of  the  battle,  the 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  275 

shipwreck,  and  finally  of  their  strange  arrival  at  the  capi- 
tal of  Victoria. 

"  Your  story  sounds  like  a  miracle,"  cried  the  sailor.  "  If 
I  did  n't  know  you  for  the  most  truthful  boy  on  earth,  I 
should  think  you  were  making  fun  of  me,  and  that  you 
had  simply  left  the  Atlanta  because  you  got  tired  of  the 
life." 

"  Could  you  think  that  we  would  desert  the  ship  ? "  said 
Penguin  somewhat  angrily. 

"  Oh  !  Heaven  forbid  ! "  said  Dominic.  "  I  know  too 
well  how  fond  you  were  of  your  captain.  Besides,  the 
Melbourne  papers  have  published  several  articles  about 
the  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  Atlanta  and  two  Amer- 
ican frigates  sent  in  pursuit  of  her  You  alone,  so  far  as  I 
see,  can  clear  up  this  mystery.  But  all  this,"  he  continued, 
"  does  not  tell  me  what  you  intend  doing,  now  that  you 
have  reached  Melbourne." 

"An  accident,  or  say  rather  the  hand  of  Providence 
brought  us  hither  to  fulfil  a  sacred  trust,"  said  Daniel. 
"  But  it  is  a  secret  to  be  guarded  with  religious  care." 

"  In  that  case,  you  know,  mum 's  the  word ! "  said  the 
sailor,  putting  his  finger  to  his  lips. 

"  But  we  cannot  accomplish  our  task  alone.  We  need  an 
assistant,  a  companion.  I  thought  of  you  at  once.  I 
know  that  I  can  depend  on  your  friendship,  and  I  am  ready 
to  tell  you  the  secret  on  one  condition." 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Dominic,  whose  very  lips  quiv- 


276      OLD  SCHEMES  AND  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE. 

ered   with   excitement  as   he   saw   the   victim   ready   to 
bite. 

"  That  you  swear  never  to  reveal  it  to  a  living  soul." 

"  I  swear  on  my  word  of  honor,"  hastily  replied  the 
sailor. 

"  The  first  part  of  it  you  know  already.      You  know 
that  Bastien  Moreau,  the  miner  who  died  in  my  arms  at 
Castel,  discovered  a  gold  mine  of  fabulous  extent  some 
where  in  this  part  of  Australia.     Well,  I  know  the  ex- 
act situation  of  the  mine." 

"  You  have  Bastien  Moreau's  plan  ? "  eagerly  asked 
Dominic. 

"  I  have  the  plan,"  answered  Daniel. 

"  That  is,"  interrupted  Penguin,  "  my  friend  Riva  recol- 
lects perfectly  the  description  of  the  situation  of  the  mine, 
given  him  by  Mr.  Moreau." 

"  Oh !  that 's  a  different  thing,"  said  the  disappointed 
sailor.  "  It  would  be  better  to  have  some  writing,  if  it  were 
but  a  fragment.  One's  memory  is  not  always  to  be  trusted. 
But  where  is  this  famous  mine  ? " 

"  Near  the  Murray,"  began  Daniel.  But  he  stopped  at  a 
slight  sign  from  Penguin. 

"  That  is  not  much  of  a  guide,"  said  Dominic.  "  The 
Murray  is  a  very  big  river ;  it  is  three  or  four  times  as 
long  as  the  Rhine.  I  don't  suppose  that  you  intend  to 
follow  it  from  its  source  to  the  sea  in  search  of  your 
mine." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  277 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  anything  more  now.  You  shall 
come  with  us,  and  I  will  show  you  where  we  are  to  dig." 

Dominic  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  insist.  He  therefore 
went  on : 

"  We  shall  need  money,  —  a  great  deal  of  money." 

"We  have  applied  to  you  for  the  express  purpose  of 
helping  us  to  get  it." 

"  Good !  I  have  friends  here,  I  will  do  what  is  needful. 
But  what  will  you  give  us  in  return  ? " 

Daniel  did  not  expect  this  question.  He  was  puzzled  how 
to  answer,  and  Penguin  came  to  his  help : 

"  The  treasure  which  we  seek  does  not  belong  to  us,"  he 
said.  "  It  is  our  purpose  to  give  it  to  Bastien  Moreau's 
widow,  if  we  find  it." 

Dominic  smiled  with  ironical  pity ;  but  rising  hastily,  he 
gravely  plucked  his  old  fur  cap  from  his  head,  and  ad- 
dressed the  boys  as  follows :  — 

"  Gentlemen,  your  cause  is  most  noble.  No  one  knows 
better  than  I,  what  is  due  to  the  widow  and  orphan.  But 
I  have  an  old  mother  at  home  in  the  Pyrenees  myself" 
[she  had  been  dead  twenty  years], "for  whom  I  must  work 
and  save.  My  filial  love  forbids  me  to  play  the  hero. 
This  very  night,  in  this  very  place,  I  refused  to  take  part 
in  a  brilliant  enterprise  in  which  I  was  offered  a  fourth 
of  the  profits  —  " 

"  What  then  ?  "  asked  Daniel. 

"  There  are  three  of  us,"  continued  the  sailor.    "  Let  us 


278     OLD  SCHEMES  AND  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE. 

divide  the  treasure  into  equal  parts,  and  you  can  do  what 
you  like  with  your  two  shares." 

"  Agreed,"  said  the  Canadian. 

"  Moreover,"  senteniously  concluded  Martigues,  "  I  must 
draw  the  attention  of  Mr.  Penguin,  who  does  not  know  me, 
—  to  prove  my  disinterestedness  to  him,  I  say,  I  must  draw 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  I  don't  ask  to  be  repaid  for 
the  expenses  which  I  am  to  defray  in  advance." 

The  matter  settled  thus,  the  three  friends  parted,  Daniel 
absolutely  delighted,  Penguin  resolved  to  keep  a  good  watcli 
on  their  new  messmate,  and  the  latter  trying  to  hit  upon 
some  plan  for  getting  possession  of  all  the  treasure. 


*'  An  enormous  boulder  barred  their  progress." 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

THE   GOLD  MINE. 

AT  the  close  of  the  council  held  in  the  private  room  of 
the  Jolly  Companions,  Dominic  went  immediately  to  work 
to  prepare  for  the  expedition  upon  which  he  was  so  soon 
to  start  with  the  two  cabin  boys.  He  speedily  collected 
the  necessary  tools  for  working  a  mine,  and  a  little  tent 
for  shelter  in  the  desert ;  then  he  laid  in  a  supply  of  flour 
and  canned  meat  sufficient  to  last  several  months.  To  these 


280  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

purchases  he  added  a  second-hand  rifle  and  a  pair  of  revol- 
vers, —  weapons  indispensable  to  the  safety  of  the  expedi- 
tion in  a  country  where  thieves  are  as  plenty  as  gold-diggers. 
Lastly  he  bought  two  strong  pack-mules  at  a  bargain  from 
the  English  Colonization  Agency.  His  purse  was  com- 
pletely emptied  by  all  these  acquisitions ;  and  accordingly, 
one  fine  morning,  the  little  party  left  Melbourne  and  pro- 
ceeded northwards. 

Daniel  and  Penguin  had  gleaned  all  the  necessary  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  course  which  they  should  pursue  in 
order  to  reach  the  confluence  of  the  Murray  and  Murrum- 
bidgee  at  the  office  of  the  French  consul.  This  gentleman 
also  gave  them  a  map  of  Victoria,  upon  which  he  oblig- 
ingly marked  their  route  and  the  necessary  data.  The  two 
boys  had  conducted  this  part  of  the  business  with  great 
prudence,  and  even  on  the  day  of  their  departure  Dominic 
had  no  idea  to  which  part  of  the  valley  of  the  Murray  they 
were  going. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  he  repeated,  "  that  it  would  only  be 
fair  to  tell  me  where  we  are  going.  I  can't  see  why  you 
make  so  many  mysteries  about  it." 

"  Why,  my  dear  Dominic,  I  have  already  told  you  that 
we  were  going  to  the  Murray  valley.  Is  n't  that  enough 
for  you  ?  You  will  be  with  us :  what  more  do  you  want  ? " 

"Very  well,"  grumbled  the  sailor.  "You  don't  trust 
me ;  you  make  a  great  mistake." 

Two  days  after  their  departure  the  travellers  reached 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  281 

the  mountains  which  shelter  Melbourne  on  the  north,  and 
entered  a  narrow  valley  through  which  a  branch  of  the 
Yarra-Yarra  runs.  They  had  gone  but  a  few  steps  when 
Daniel  recognized  the  spot  where  good  Mr.  Friday  left 
them. 

"  The  first  time  we  stood  here,"  said  he  to  the  sailor, 
•'  we  never  dreamed  that  we  were  so  near  to  one  of  the 
largest  cities  in  the  world.  We  thought  that  we  were 
on  one  of  the  Sunda  Isles,  only  inhabited  by  black 
natives." 

"  And  to  think  that  the  English  called  this  Mount  Dis- 
appointment ! "  cried  Penguin,  who  was  tracing  their  course 
on  the  map.  "  I  shall  scratch  out  the  name,  and  put  in  Mount 
Providence ;  for  I  never  saw  more  clearly  that  it  was  the 
hand  of  Providence  which  guided  us,  through  every  danger, 
to  the  city  whither  a  sacred  duty  summoned  us." 

"  Providence  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  muttered  Dom- 
inic ;  "  still,  I  can't  understand  how  it  happened  that  you 
were  led  out  of  the  wilderness  by  a  savage,  for  the  natives 
of  this  country,  they  tell  me,  are  very  fierce  and  are  hos- 
tile to  Europeans.  If  we  meet  any  of  them,  we  had  better 
keep  them  within  rifle-range." 

"That  is  just  it,"  cried  Penguin.  "Civilized  people 
complain  of  the  cruelty  of  savages ;  but  wherever  they 
meet  them,  they  fire  at  them  without  more  ado.  Savages 
are  no  worse  than  other  men  when  they  are  kindly 
treated.  At  home,  in  Canada,  the  French  have  made 


282  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

brothers  of  the  Indians  who  live  among  them,  and  these 
so-called  savages  are  by  no  means  the  least  useful  citizens 
of  our  young  confederacy ;  while,  ill-treated  in  the  United 
States,  the  same  Indians  have  proved  intractable  foes  to 
the  whole  white  race." 

The  little  party  spent  several  days  in  crossing  the  bar- 
ren mountain-chain.  But  beyond  it  the  travellers  found 
lovely  plains  covered  with  rich  herbage,  browsed  over  by 
splendid  herds  of  cattle,  under  the  watchful  eye  of  Euro- 
pean shepherds ;  for,  while  the  miners  sought  for  pre- 
cious metal  in  every  direction,  more  prudent  colonists 
advanced  into  the  interior  with  their  cattle,  and  took  un- 
molested possession  of  vast  territories,  which  to-day  are 
worth  more  than  all  the  gold  ever  taken  from  Australian 
mines.  These  true  pioneers  of  civilization  had  already 
entered  the  Murray  Valley  in  1865,  and  had  cleared  farms 
which  reckoned  their  cattle,  their  sheep,  and  their  horses 
by  the  hundreds  of  thousands.  The  travellers,  therefore, 
had  no  difficulty  in  purchasing  fresh  supplies  of  pro- 
visions, and  moreover  the  shepherds  put  them  on  the 
best  road  to  reach  the  lower  river.  Unfortunately,  it 
obliged  them  to  turn  their  backs  on  the  smiling  Nor- 
mandy of  Australia  and  to  leave  green  pastures  for  the 
burning  desert. 

The  two  boys  marched  fearlessly  through  the  melan- 
choly wastes  which  they  had  faced  before,  but  Dominic 
displayed  a  childish  terror.  He  felt  as  if  the  lads  were 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  28o 

leading  him  to  certain  death.  He  complained  incessantly, 
and  repeatedly  declared  that  he  would  not  go  a  step  far- 
ther in  this  lonely  region,  where  he  was  exposed  to  die 
of  heat,  of  thirst,  and  perhaps  of  hunger. 

However,  after  three  weeks'  journey  and  terrible  fatigue, 
the  little  party  reached  a  large  lake,  the  sight  of  which 
brought  an  exclamation  of  joy  to  the  lips  of  both  boys. 

"  That  is  Lake  Tyrrell,"  cried  Penguin.  "  We  must  walk 
a  short  distance  to  the  east,  and  to-morrow  we  shall  be  on 
the  banks  of  the  Murray,  which  is  scarcely  ten  miles 
distant." 

"  Come,  Dominic,  cheer  up !  "  said  Daniel.  "  Look  at 
the  map,  and  you  will  see  that  we  are  not  deceiving  you." 

"  The  map,  the  map  !  "  said  the  sailor.  "  What 's  the 
use  of  my  looking  at  it  ?  If  it  were  a  chart,  I  might 
recognize  the  soundings  ;  but  how  can  I  tell  whether  this 
lake  is  really  the  one  you  say  it  is  ?  It  is  not  the  first 
ugly  pond  that  we  Ve  passed :  they  all  look  alike ;  the 
country  is  full  of  them,  and  their  waters  are  almost  as 
salt  as  the  sea.  Listen  to  me.  If  I  do  not  reach  your 
famous  Murray  to-morrow,  I  shall  turn  about,  and  go  back 
to  Melbourne  as  fast  as  I  can." 

But,  as  Penguin  had  announced,  the  next  day,  after  a 
long  walk,  the  travellers  reached  the  great  Australian 
river.  They  greeted  with  a  shout  the  beautiful,  blue 
stream  as  it  rolled  between  its  steep,  sandy  banks.  The 
water  being  quite  shallow  at  this  season  of  the  year,  they 


284  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

soon  found  a  place  which  the  mules  could  ford,  and  then 
encamped  upon  the  right-hand  bank. 

Two  days  after,  still  following  the  course  of  the  river, 
they  found  their  progress  blocked  by  a  lovely  stream, 
which  mingled  its  muddy  waters  with  the  clear  crystal 
of  the  Murray.  This  was  the  Murrumbidgee.  They 
crossed  it  with  some  difficulty,  as  the  current  was  strong 
and  the  water  quite  deep. 

On  reaching  the  further  shore,  while  Dominic  sulkily 
shook  the  water  from  his  dripping  garments,  the  two 
cabin  boys,  giving  way  to  a  mad  burst  of  joy,  danced 
and  threw  up  their  caps,  cutting  every  imaginable  caper. 

"  Has  your  bath  driven  you  crazy  ? "  growled  Dominic. 
"I  don't  see  what  you  find  to  please  you  so  much  in 
this  vile  country.  For  my  part,  I  should  much  prefer  —  " 

"  Hush  up ! "  cried  Daniel.  "  I  don't  want  to  know 
where  you  'd  rather  be ;  for  I  am  sure  that  in  a  few  min- 
utes you  will  be  as  happy  as  we  are." 

"  Are  we  there  ? "  asked  the  sailor. 

"  Yes,"  said  Penguin,  "  we  are  at  our  journey's  end,  or 
nearly  so." 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  You  're  not  deceiving  me  ? " 
cried  Dominic,  whose  eyes  began  to  sparkle. 

"  Hark ! "  said  the  Canadian.  "  Daniel  shall  repeat  the 
words  of  Bastien  Moreau." 

"  These,"  said  Daniel,  "  are  the  miner's  exact  words  : 
'  Starting  from  the  point  where  the  Murrumbidgee  joins 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  285 

the  Murray,  follow  the  right  bank  of  the  river  for  about 
six  hundred  paces,  down  to  a  narrow,  rocky  ravine,  the 
mouth  of  which  is  shaded  by  a  few  gum-trees ;  then, 
turning  your  back  on  the  river,  go  to  the  north,  and  fol- 
low the  course  of  the  ravine.  After  walking  two  hours 
you  will  come  to  an  enormous  stone  standing  alone,  which 
marks  — ' ' 

"  Marks  what  ?  "  asked  the  sailor,  who  had  listened  with 
open  mouth  and  ears. 

"  Good  gracious  !  I  don't  know,"  said  Daniel.  "  I  sup- 
pose it  is  the  mouth  of  the  mine,  the  spot  where  we  are 
to  dig." 

"Never  mind,"  interrupted  Penguin.  "We  will  look 
and  see." 

"  But,  after  all,"  added  Dominic,  "  how  can  you  be 
sure  that  this  is  the  Murrumbidgee  ? " 

"  From  the  position  of  the  lake  which  we  passed  three 
days  ago,  and  by  calculating  our  journey  down  the  Mur- 
ray, I  am  sure,"  said  Penguin,  "  that  this  river  is  the 
Murrumbidgee." 

"  Well,  then,  lads,  let  us  be  off ! "  cried  the  sailor. 
"Don't  let  us  lose  a  moment's  time." 

They  must  hasten,  indeed,  if  they  wished  to  gain  the 
ravine  before  night,  for  the  sun  was  sinking  rapidly 
towards  the  horizon. 

Penguin,  planting  a  stake  at  the  extreme  angle  of  the 
bank  which  overhung  the  meeting  of  the  waters,  began 


286  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

to  pace  down  the  left  shore  of  the  river,  counting  his 
steps  with  great  care.  His  two  companions  followed  him, 
full  of  the  anxiety  always  felt  on  approaching  a  long  and 
eagerly  desired  goal 

They  passed  by  several  ravines  which  opened  upon  the 
river,  and  saw  several  groups  of  gum-trees ;  but  Penguin 
did  not  pause. 

At  last,  he  cried  out  "  Six  hundred,"  and  stopped. 

The  bank  stretched  before  them  steep  and  high,  without 
a  break. 

The  Canadian  resumed  his  walk.  He  counted  up  to 
seven  hundred,  and  halted  again.  Ten  yards  away  a 
group  of  trees  half  hid  a  narrow  fissure  in  the  bank. 

"  I  see  what  it  is,"  he  exclaimed.  "  My  steps  are  not  so 
long  as  those  of  the  miner.  But  I  feel  certain  that  this 
is  the  right  place." 

He  rushed  forward,  and  ran  through  the  trees,  followed 
by  his  comrades.  Doubt  was  no  longer  possible.  Behind 
the  gum-trees  lay  a  deep,  narrow  ravine. 

All  at  once  Daniel  called  his  companions,  who  were 
hurrying  on  into  the  ravine,  and  showed  them  the  letters 
"  B.  M."  carved  on  the  bark  of  a  tree. 

"  There  is  Bastien  Moreau's  signature,"  said  he.  "  Now 
you  see  that  we  are  on  the  right  path.  It  will  be  better 
for  us  to  stop  here  for  to-day;  night  is  at  hand,  and 
you  know  that  it  will  take  us  two  hours  to  reach  the 
big  stone." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  287 

The  travellers  accordingly  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the 
guni-trees  to  rest  for  the  night.  But,  although  utterly 
exhausted,  they  could  not  sleep.  The  idea  that  they 
stood  at  the  gate  of  the  new  Eldorado  kept  them  awake, 
feverish  and  impatient. 

With  the  first  rays  of  light  they  were  on  foot,  and, 
driving  the  mules  before  them,  were  hastening  through 
the  gorge.  It  was  more  like  a  fissure,  a  crack  in  the 
ground  enlarged  by  the  action  of  rain,  than  it  was  like 
a  ravine.  It  seemed  as  if  some  powerful  commotion  had 
rent  in  twain  the  rocks,  whose  smooth,  perpendicular  and 
inaccessible  sides  were  scarcely  more  than  a  few  yards 
assunder.  Through  these  masses  of  stone  ran,  like  ser- 
pents, long  veins  of  that  milky-white  quarts  which  is  the 
herald  of  the  precious  metal. 

"  It  don't  take  half  an  eye  to  see  that  there  is  gold 
hereabouts,"  said  Dominic,  pointing  to  these  glittering 
wavy  lines. 

"  May  be  not,"  answered  Penguin  ;  "  but  we  have  n't 
found  it  yet.  Gold  is  found  among  quartz,  but  it 's  not 
every  bed  of  quartz  that  contains  gold  " 

As  they  left  the  river  gradually  behind,  the  road  rose  to 
the  level  of  a  narrow  valley,  which  again  descended,  broad- 
ening to  the  northeast,  as  if  to  return  to  the  Murrum- 
bidgee. 

Two  hours  after  leaving  the  gum-trees,  the  travellers 
crossed  this  sort  of  neck  or  isthmus,  and  entered  the 


288  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

valley,  walking  along  the  bed  of  a  dry  stream.  Upon 
the  banks  grew  a  profusion  of  thick,  thorny  briers,  over- 
topped here  and  there  by  an  occasional  acacia,  with 
scanty  foliage  and  reddish  flowers.  Huge  blocks  of  stone 
obstructed  the  bed  of  the  brook. 

The  boys  wondered  how  they  should  distinguish  Bas- 
tieii  Moreau's  big  rock  amid  this  picturesque  chaos  of 
stone.  But  their  perplexity  was  of  brief  duration.  They 
sooii  came  to  an  enormous  boulder,  standing  alone,  which, 
lying  across  the  stream,  completely  barred  their  progress. 
The  water  dammed  up  by  this  powerful  obstacle  probably 
formed  a  lovely  cascade  in  the  wet  season  ;  and  even  now, 
although  it  was  the  dry  season,  there  was  a  little  pool. 
This  vast  boulder  was  evidently  the  one  mentioned  by  the 
gold-digger. 

'•  We  have  been  walking  for  more  than  two  hours," 
exclaimed  Daniel.  "  We  must  have  reached  the  spot ; 
for  I  see  no  other  stone  anywhere  about  us  larger  than 
this  one." 

"  Well,  let  us  look  for  the  mine,"  said  Dominic. 

"  Have  a  little  patience,"  said  Penguin.  "  Since  we 
have  undoubtedly  reached  the  spot,  let  us  pitch  our  tent 
beside  this  pool  of  water,  unload  our  mules,  which  are  ex- 
hausted by  their  clamber  over  the  rocks,  and  rest  our- 
selves," 

"  You  are  never  in  a  hurry,"  said  the  angry  sailor,  who 
had  gradually  given  up  his  obsequious  politeness  towards 
the  Canadian. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  289 

"  In  the  first  place,"  returned  the  latter,  "  we  are  not 
sure  of  finding  the  mine  immediately.  In  fact,  we  know 
that  it  is  in  the  valley,  but  where  ?.  That  is  the  question. 
So  it  is  useless  to  hurry  things." 

Nevertheless,  the  sailor,  leaving  the  boys  to  unload  the 
mules  and  pitch  the  tent,  began  to  hunt  for  the  mine 
without  further  delay.  He  carefully  explored  the  bushes 
on  either  shore  for  quite  a  distance  around  the  rock ;  but 
after  half  an  hour's  search  he  returned  without  discover- 
ing anything. 

Penguin  could  not  help  laughing  at  his  look  of  discom- 
fiture. 

"Look  here  now,  Dominic,"  he  said,  "if  you  stop  to 
think  a  minute,  you  will  see  that  Bastien  Moreau  would 
never  have  been  such  a  fool  as  to  leave  his  treasure 
exposed  to  the  first  adventurer  who  came  along.  He  must 
have  known  that,  just  as  he  came  upon  it  by  mere  chance, 
another  might  have  the  same  luck.  Before  he  left  the 
valley,  he  undoubtedly  concealed  his  shaft  so  carefully 
that  he  was  not  sure  of  finding  it  again'  himself,  and 
thought  it  necessary  to  make  a  plan  of  his  works." 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  sailor,  "  and  this  plan  ? " 

"  This  plan,"  the  young  Canadian  coldly  replied,  "  is  in 
my  bosom.  It  has  never  been  off  my  person  since  the  day 
that  Daniel  put  it  into  my  keeping." 

And  to  Dominic's  no  small  surprise,  he  took  the  scrap 
of  paper  from  his  bosom  and  spread  it  out  on  the  rock, 

19 


290 


THE   GOLD   MINE. 


carefully  smoothing  the  folds  as  he  did  so.     Daniel  bent 
down  to  study  it  with  him. 

"  We  told  you,"  continued  Penguin,  "  that  Bastien's 
memorandum  was  unluckily  torn  at  the  words,  '  an  enor- 
mous stone  which  marks  — '  A  little  further  on  there 
are,  indeed,  these  fragmentary  words  '  which  goes  down 
28  feet';  but  this  can  only  refer  to  the  depth  of  the 
shaft.  On  the  very  edge  of  the  paper  we  find  another 
important  guide,  —  a  plan,  also,  unfortunately  imperfect. 
Here  it  is :  — 


This  sketch  will  probably  guide  us  straight  to  the  mine." 
"  Humph ! "  said  Dominic,  "  if  you  trust  to  that  —  " 
"  Why,  certainly,"  said  Daniel,  "  we  trust  to  that.     I 

could  n't  make  head  or  tail  of  it  at  first,  but  I  think  that 

Martial  has  found  the  key  to  the  mystery." 

"  We  shall  soon  see,"  Penguin  replied.     "  In  the  first 

place,  I  suppose  that  the  cross  marked  on  the  plan  stands 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  291 

for  the  great  stone  where  we  now  are.  It  is  very  clear 
that  the  two  lines  on  either  side  of  it  are  meant  for  the 
stream,  the  bed  of  which  widens  in  the  same  way.  As  I 
see  a  point  marked  in  the  narrowest  portion  of  the  water- 
course, I  guess  that  the  mine  is  up  the  river  from  the  rock 
and  on  the  left  bank,  as  all  the  lines  go  in  that  direction. 
This  agreed  upon,  I  find  another  spot  connected  with  the 
cross  by  a  perpendicular  line  marked  '  28,'  which  must 
mean  twenty-eight  yards,  twenty-eight  paces,  or  twenty- 
eight  feet.  This  point  is,  in  my  opinion,  nothing  but  a 
guide,  for  it  is  connected  with  another  and  invisible  point 
by  a  line  marked  '  76.'  This  unknown  point  is  undoubt- 
edly the  situation  of  the  mine,  for  it  is  connected  by 
another  line,  unfortunately  incomplete,  with  the  point  in 
the  bed  of  the  stream.  Is  this  clear  ? " 

"  I  don't  understand  a  blessed  word,"  said  Dominic,  who 
was  completely  dumbfounded. 

"  I  understand  you  perfectly,"  said  Daniel,  admiring  his 
friend's  ingenious  explanation. 

"  I  did  not  explain  myself  very  clearly,"  said  Penguin, 
"but  I  think  I  am  right.  At  any  rate,  let  us  try  my 
scheme ;  if  it  fails,  we  can  easily  follow  some  other." 

The  cabin  boys  had  pitched  their  tent  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  river,  not  far  from  the  big  boulder. 

"  We  will  take  this  tent,"  he  continued,  "  as  our  starting 
point.  First,  we  must  turn  our  backs  on  it.  You,  Domi- 
nic, must  walk  straight  forward,  counting  your  steps  as 


292  THE   GOLD    MINE. 

you  go.  Your  legs  are  longer  than  mine  and  will  give  us 
a  more  exact  measure." 

"  Let  us  take  our  tools  with  us,"  said  Daniel ;  "  we  may 
need  them." 

The  sailor  turned  his  back  to  the  tent  and  advanced  in 
the  desired  direction.  At  the  twenty-seventh  step  he  was 
stopped  by  a  great  acacia,  standing  haughtily  alone  in  the 
midst  of  the  scanty  underbrush. 

"  Good ! "  said  the  Canadian.  "  This  tree  undoubtedly 
represents  the  second  point  on  the  plan.  Now  we  have 
only  to  count  seventy-six  paces,  walking  straight  forward 
in  a  parallel  line  with  the  left  bank  of  the  river." 

Without  a  word,  Dominic  resumed  his  march,  Daniel 
counting  the  steps  aloud.  At  the  seventy-sixth,  Penguin 
planted  a  stake  in  the  ground. 

"  Well ! "  cried  the  sailor  in  a  tone  of  discouragement, 
"  where  is  the  mine  ?  I  see  nothing  but  stones  and  under- 
brush, and  more  stones,  and  not  the  least  sign  of  a  shaft. 
I  very  much  fear  that  I  have  had  my  labor  for  my  pains. 
What  a  fool  I  was  to  let  two  young  monkeys  lead  me  so 
far  into  the  desert  without  a  word  of  explanation  ! " 

The  Canadian  said  nothing.  He  was  studying  Bastion's 
plan,  occasionally  glancing  around. 

"  Bless  my  heart ! "  said  Dominic,  giving  way  to  his  tem- 
per, "this  is  too  much.  There  you  both  stand  like  statues, 
as  if  this  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world.  I  warn 
you  that,  if  you  have  been  fooling  me,  I  will  be  fully 
revenged  on  you." 


THE   TWO   CABIN    BOYS.  293 

"  Do  let  us  alone ! "  cried  Daniel.  "  Don't  you  see  that 
Martial  knows  what  he  is  talking  about  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Canadian,  "  I  am  convinced  that  the 
mine  must  be  here,  perhaps  under  our  very  feet,  but  at 
any  rate  somewhere  close  by.  Stop,  look  yonder,  towards 
the  river.  See  that  dead  tree  lying  on  the  ground.  I  'm 
willing  to  bet  that  that  is  our  fourth  point.  Therefore  the 
mine  must  be  here.  We  have  our  picks.  To  work  !  Let  us 
dig  around  the  stake.  We  shall  have  time  enough  to 
grumble  afterwards  if  we  find  nothing." 

Armed  with  their  picks,  the  three  began  to  turn  up  the 
soil  about  them.  Several  hours  passed  and  brought  no 
result.  The  workers  were  forced  to  stop  and  rest,  and  Dan- 
iel ran  to  the  tent  for  food  to  revive  their  failing  strength. 

Dominic  sat  silently  and  gloomily  on  a  pile  of  stones 
gathered  together  by  some  flood.  He  had  lighted  his  pipe 
and  was  lost  in  thought ;  but  the  movements  of  the  pick 
which  he  held,  betrayed  the  dull  rage  which  brooded  in  his 
heart.  The  heavy  iron  tool,  involuntarily  lifted,  struck 
sparks  from  the  pebbles  upon  which  it  fell. 

Penguin  sat  near  the  sailor,  looking  coldly  at  him  and 
eating  a  biscuit. 

"  There  '11  be  a  row  before  long,"  he  whispered  to  Daniel, 
who  was  close  by.  "Your  dear  friend  Martigues  don't 
strike  me  as  a  very  patient  man,  and  I  —  " 

He  stopped  suddenly,  sprang  up,  and  before  Dominic 
had  time  to  resist,  he  snatched  the  pick  from  his  hand  and 


J94  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

began  to  throw  up  the  earth  hastily.     At  the  same  time 
he  shouted : 

"  Here  it  is !     We  have  hit  it ! " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  the  brutal  sailor. 

"  I  mean  that  instead  of  quarrelling,  you  had  better  go 
to  work.  You  are  sitting  on  the  mine." 

"  How  can  that  be  ? "  said  Daniel. 

"  Look  here,"  said  the  Canadian.  "  Do  you  see  this  piece 
of  wood  ? " 

"  Yes  ! "  cried  both  his  companions  at  once. 

"  Well,  that  is  the  top  of  one  of  the  planks  with  which 
Bastien  closed  the  mouth  of  his  shaft.  This  he  has 
covered  in  turn  with  earth  and  stones,  and  that  is  why  we 
did  not  notice  it  before." 

A  few  vigorous  strokes  of  the  pick  uncovered  a  part  ol 
the  wood,  and  almost  immediately  they  heard  the  noise 
of  pebbles  dropping  down  into  the  pit  through  the  cracks 
in  this  roofing. 

There  could  be  no  further  doubt.  Dominic  himself 
could  not  restrain  his  joy.  He  embraced  the  French  boy 
again  and  again  ;  then,  somewhat  shamefacedly,  he  offered 
his  hand  to  Penguin,  saying  : 

"  I  hope  you  won't  bear  me  a  grudge." 

"  Why  should  I  blame  you  for  being  impatient  ? "  said 
the  Canadian.  "  To  work,  to  work  !  " 

Active  and  industrious  as  the  laborers  were,  it  was  a 
long  and  difficult  task.  Night  was  at  hand  when,  the 


I 


"  All  the  cracking  in  the  world  could  not  frighten  Dominic,  who  went  cautiously 
down,  lamp  in  hand."  —  Page  297. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  297 

earth  being  removed,  the  planks  could  be  taken  away  in 
turn.  The  mouth  of  the  pit  gaped  black  and  wide. 

"  It  is  too  late  to  do  anything  more  to-day,"  said  Daniel. 

But  Dominic  did  not  agree  to  this.  He  wanted  to  go 
down  into  the  mine,  to  assure  himself  of  the  reality  of  the 
treasure  which  lay  below.  He  ran  to  the  tent  and  came 
back  with  ropes  and  a  lamp.  Having  lighted  the  lamp, 
he  explored  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  and  uttered  a  cry  of 
delight  when  he  saw  at  his  feet  the  top  rounds  of  a  long 
ladder,  the  end  of  which  was  lost  in  the  darkness  beneath. 

"  Your  friend  Bastien,"  said  he  to  Daniel,  "  was  polite 
enough  to  leave  his  staircase  standing.  This  will  do  away 
with  the  need  of  ropes  and  be  both  safer  and  more  con- 
venient." 

The  kdder,  made  of  gum-tree  wood,  seemed  very  un- 
steady, and  began  to  crack  in  alarming  fashion  as  the 
sailor  stepped  upon  it ;  but  all  the  cracking  in  the  world 
could  not  frighten  Dominic,  who  went  cautiously  down, 
lamp  in  hand.  Beaching  the  bottom  safely,  he  called  to 
the  two  boys,  who  slid  down  the  ladder,  and  stood  beside 
him  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

The  excavation,  which  was  nine  feet  wide  at  the  top, 
was  conical  in  shape,  going  down  about  thirty  feet  and 
being  only  about  six  feet  wide  at  the  base.  This  pit,  dug 
in  stony  soil,  must  have  cost  Bastien  Moreau  and  his 
friends  long  weeks  of  work.  However,  under  the  layer  of 
rocks  was  a  more  mellow  soil,  dripping  with  dampness, 


298  THE   GOLD    MINE. 

which  had  accumulated  and  formed  a  shallow  pond  on  the 
bottom  of  the  mine.  Beyond  this  shaft  a  lateral  gallery 
went  about  twenty  paces  into  the  earth  ;  the  walls  of 
this  narrow  passage  were  propped  up  with  planks  and  tree- 
trunks. 

The  three  friends  went  into  this  gallery.  They  exam- 
ined it  carefully  to  the  end  by  the  light  of  their  lamp,  but 
found  no  sign  of  a  vein.  A  block  of  glittering  white 
quartz  blocked  further  progress,  and  promised  to  prove  a 
poser  to  any  one  who  tried  to  pierce  it. 

The  impetuous  Daniel  was  somewhat  disappointed ;  he 
had  expected  to  find  bars  of  gold  at  the  bottom  of  the 
mine,  heaped  up  and  ready  for  removal.  Dominic,  who 
had  worked  in  mines  before,  was  more  reasonable  and 
only  said :  — 

"  We  shall  have  some  good,  hard  work  with  our  picks 
before  we  find  our  treasure." 

"  Yes,"  said  Penguin  ;  "  so  the  best  thing  we  can  do  now 
is  to  go  to  bed.  For  my  part,  I  am  too  tired  to  lift  a  hand." 

They  accordingly  left  the  mine  and  returned  to  their 
tent,  where,  after  feeding  their  mules,  they  fell  asleep  side 
by  side,  and  were  all  soon  plunged  in  golden  dreams. 

At  the  first  peep  of  day  they  went  down  into  the  mine 
again  with  their  tools  and  set  to  work.  The  block  of 
quartz  resisted  all  their  efforts  ;  at  the  end  of  the  day,  they 
had  only  advanced  a  few  inches. 

"  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  keep  on  in  this  way,"  said 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  299 

Penguin.  "  Our  tools  will  be  blunted  on  this  rock,  which 
is  harder  than  steel.  We  must  use  gunpowder  and  blow 
it  up." 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  the  sailor.  "  I  thought  of  that,  and  we 
have  plenty  of  powder,  for  I  brought  a  supply  in  case  we 
we  should  need  it.  But  we  must  use  it  very  carefully, 
or  else  we  shall  bring  the  gallery  down  with  it  and  have 
the  whole  thing  to  do  over  again." 

They  therefore  tried  using  powder,  and  succeeded  hi 
blasting  away  the  greater  part  of  the  quartz  boulder.  This 
perilous  task  took  three  days ;  but  on  the  fourth,  being  rid 
of  the  obstacle,  they  came  upon  a  repository  of  loose  earth 
and  stone  rubbish,  which  yielded  readily  to  the  pick,  and 
through  which  they  advanced  rapidly.  They  then  encoun- 
tered a  fresh  difficulty :  the  walls  of  the  gallery  hewn 
from  this  crumbling  soil,  threatened  to  cave  in ;  they  were 
obliged  to  prop  them  up  with  the  few  planks  which  they 
could  find  and  with  the  trunks  of  trees  which  they  cut  down. 
Moreover,  after  a  little,  water  began  to  pour  freely  in  upon 
them ;  the  mine  was  in  danger  of  being  flooded. 

The  workers  were  therefore  obliged  to  make  a  division 
of  labor :  while  two  of  them  dug  away  at  the  rock,  the 
third,  remaining  above  ground,  bailed  out  the  water  with  a 
bucket  fastened  to  a  long  rope.  Every  morning,  before 
they  went  to  work,  each  one  had  to  take  a  turn  at  this  dis- 
agreeable task,  for  the  water  stood  more  than  two  feet  deep 
in  the  mine. 


300  THE   GOLD   MINE. 

And  still,  at  the  end  of  a  fortnight,  they  had  not  found 
a  single  particle  of  gold  to  reward  them  for  all  their  labor. 

Dominic  grumbled  loudly. 

One  day  he  said :  "  Perhaps  Bastien  Moreau  only  left 
the  mine  because  he  was  sure  that  there  was  nothing  more 
in  it." 

"  Perhaps  so,"  was  Penguin's  phlegmatic  reply.  "  But 
we  can't  help  it,  can  we?  You  must  acknowledge  that 
yourself." 

Daniel  was  the  most  eager  and  persevering  of  all.  He 
was  never  discouraged  or  depressed  and  he  worked  inces- 
santly, although  his  comrades  often  stopped  for  a  few 
minutes  at  a  tune  to  rest. 

One  morning  he  went  down  into  the  mine  without  wait- 
ing to  draw  off  the  water  which  had  collected  during  the 
night,  and  knee-deep  in  sticky,  wet  clay,  he  made  a  furious 
attack  upon  the  rock.  The  fragments  flew  thick  and  fast 
hi  every  direction,  splashing  him  with  mud,  but  he  kept  on 
undaunted. 

But  suddenly  his  arm  dropped  to  his  side.  He  turned 
pale  and  almost  fainted.  The  lamplight,  falling  on  the 
spot  where  he  was  working,  lighted  up  a  small,  yellow, 
glittering  lump,  embedded  in  a  piece  of  quartz. 

With  a  trembling  hand  the  young  man  took  down  the 
lamp  and  held  it  close  to  the  shining  lump. 

It  was  really  gold  and  nothing  else.  Daniel  stood  rooted 
to  the  spot,  gazing  at  the  fascinating  metal 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  301 

"  Gold  !  "  he  murmured  in  a  low  voice. 

Then,  tearing  the  nugget  from  the  quartz  with  one  bold 
stroke,  he  rushed  from  the  gallery  like  a  madman. 

"  Martial !  Dominic ! "  he  shouted,  holding  up  the  pre- 
cious fragment,  "  gold  !  gold ! " 

At  the  sound  of  these  magical  words  the  sailor  ran  has- 
tily down  the  ladder,  quickly  followed  by  Penguin. 

The  stroke  of  Daniel's  pick  had  broken  the  spell.  The 
golden  vein,  Bastien's  treasure,  was  found  once  more. 
That  night  when  the  three  adventurers,  worn  out  with  fa- 
tigue and  emotion,  returned  to  their  tent,  they  brought  up 
from  the  mine  four  large  nuggets  and  a  great  many  smaller 
ones,  representing  in  all  more  than  three  hundred  dollars 
in  gold,  —  quite  a  fortune. 


"  He  held  out  his  hand  to  Daniel." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

EXPIATION. 

FOR  two  days  the  gold-diggers  continued  to  take  so  many 
nuggets  from  the  vein  of  quartz  that  Dominic  became 
seriously  alarmed  as  to  how  they  were  to  carry  off  such  a 
heavy  load. 

"  What  a  pity,"  he  said,  "  that  we  did  not  bring  a  third 
mule  along  !  Even  if  we  leave  our  tools  behind,  our  two  ani- 
mals can  scarcely  carry  the  gold  which  we  have  already 
dug  up,  and  food  enough  to  take  us  across  the  desert." 

"  It  is  very  unfortunate,"  replied  the  Canadian  ;  "  but 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  us  from  following  Bastien 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  303 

Moreau's  example.  Let  us  cover  over  the  mouth  of  the 
mine  before  we  go,  and  then  we  can  come  back  again  after 
we  have  deposited  our  gold  safely  in  the  Melbourne  bank." 

Daniel  was  dazzled  by  his  sudden  access  to  riches  and 
was  rather  sorry  that  he  could  not  keep  the  money. 

"  If  it  were  not  for  Martial,"  thought  he,  "  I  should  di- 
vide this  gold  with  Dominic.  Half  of  it  would  make  me 
rich.  How  all  the  people  of  Castel  would  stare  to  see  me 
come  home  laden  with  treasure  !  First  of  all,  I  would 
make  my  father  leave  his  old  shanty ;  we  would  settle  down 
in  a  beautiful  country  house,  near  some  large  city,  Perpig- 
nan,  for  instance.  But  Martial  is  right :  this  treasure  does 
not  belong  to  me.  After  all,  if  Bastien  had  not  trusted 
me  with  his  portfolio,  I  should  never  have  managed  to 
find  this  wonderful  gold  mine,  even  if  it  had  ever  occurred 
to  me  to  come  and  try  my  luck  in  Australia.  How  rieh 
Mrs.  Moreau  will  be !  But  if  we  don't  find  her,  in  spite  of 
all  our  searching,  I  don't  see  why  this  treasure  would  n't 
belong  to  us." 

The  fact  of  the  matter  was  that  the  sight  of  so  much 
gold  began  to  exercise  its  fatal  spell  over  Daniel's  vacillat- 
ing spirit.  The  youth,  but  recently  so  proud  of  the  good 
resolves  inspired  by  Penguin,  felt  evil  thoughts  creeping 
rapidly  over  him.  It  must  be  said  to  his  praise  that  he 
fought  nobly  against  them,  and  that  the  Canadian  never 
suspected  the  struggle  which  poor  Daniel  was  making 
against  constant  temptation. 


304  EXPIATION. 

Dominic  made  no  effort  to  disguise  his  frantic  joy  or  his 
avaricious  greed.  Sitting  in  the  tent  at  night,  after  the 
day's  work  was  done,  he  delighted  to  plunge  his  hands 
deep  down  into  the  chest  of  glittering  lumps.  His  eyes 
shone  as  if  illuminated  by  a  reflection  from  the  bright 
metal,  and,  letting  his  favorite  pipe  go  out  in  his  mouth,  he 
muttered  over  and  over  again : 

"  If  all  this  gold  were  only  mine  ! " 

On  the  tenth  day  the  laborers  only  found  a  few  tiny 
nuggets;  then  on  the  succeeding  days  all  trace  of  gold 
vanished.  For  a  whole  week  they  kept  up  their  arduous 
task  unceasingly,  but  did  not  find  a  single  particle  of 
gold. 

"  Evidently,"  said  Penguin,  "  we  have  reached  the  end 
of  the  vein.  Even  the  quartz  has  ceased.  We  shall  find 
no  more  gold  here." 

"  Well,  let  us  try  one  of  the  gallery  walls,"  said  the  in- 
satiate Dominic. 

"  We  had  better  go  back  to  Melbourne ;  the  rather," 
remarked  the  Canadian,  "  that  our  provisions  are  falling 
short.  Have  n't  we  gold  enough  ?  I  calculated  yesterday 
that  we  had  nearly  a  million  dollars." 

"  That  only  makes  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
for  me  •"  angrily  exclaimed  the  sailor. 

"Indeed,  only  that!"  said  Daniel  satirically.  "I  pity 
you,  and  I  don't  see  why  you  don't  claim  damages  and  in- 
terest" 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  305 

"  It  *s  no  joking  matter,"  said  Dominic.  "  What  I  have 
is  not  enough  for  me,  that 's  all  there  is  to  be  said  about 
it.  We  will  not  leave  this  spot  until  I  am  perfectly 
ready  to  go." 

"  You  are  not  our  master,"  exclaimed  Penguin ;  "  we 
shall  go  when  we  choose." 

"  Come,  come,"  interrupted  Daniel,  "  don't  let  us  quarrel 
about  nothing.  We  will  make  an  attempt  to  dig  another 
gallery.  If  we  find  no  gold  within  a  week,  we  will  abandon 
the  mine  and  return  to  Melbourne.  Is  it  a  bargain  ? " 

"  I  agree  ! "  grumbled  Dominic. 

The  miners  accordingly  began  to  make  a  gallery  run- 
ning at  right  angles  from  the  one  where  they  had  found  the 
rich  bearing.  Several  times  their  work  was  cut  short  by 
running  springs,  which  they  had  to  stop  up  for  fear  of 
flooding  the  mine.  But  the  water  flowed  in  faster  than 
ever,  so  that  Dominic  had  to  stand  at  the  top  all  day  and 
fight  the  stream  with  buckets. 

The  week  drew  to  a  close ;  not  a  bit  of  gold  had  come  to 
light.  Penguin,  suggested  several  times  that  they  should 
give  up  their  task  as  hopeless,  but  the  sailor  stuck  to  the 
bargain.  At  last  the  appointed  day  arrived,  and,  although 
greatly  discouraged,  the  boys  went  down  into  the  mine. 

After  four  hours  of  persistent  work  Daniel  exclaimed :  — 

"  I  swear,  I  Ve  had  enough  of  it.  We  are  not  galley 
slaves  that  Dominic  should  insist  on  working  us  so  ter- 
ribly hard  to  no  purpose." 

20 


306  EXPIATION. 

"  The  fact  of  the  matter  is,"  said  Penguin,  "  that  there 
is  no  more  gold  here.  Let  us  be  off." 

And,  throwing  their  picks  over  their  shoulders,  they  left 
the  gallery.  On  reaching  the  shaft  they  were  greatly  sur- 
prised to  find  that  the  ladder  was  gone,  by  which  they 
usually  entered  and  left  the  mine. 

"  It's  one  of  Dominic's  stupid  jokes,"  said  Penguin.  "  He 
thinks  that  he  can  keep  us  at  work  here  till  night." 

"  He  can 't  mean  to  make  us  go  without  breakfast,"  said 
Daniel.  And  he  called  the  sailor. 

His  shouts  were  unanswered  for  some  tune.  The  boys 
lost  patience  and  shrieked  and  screamed.  At  last  a  shadow 
passed  across  the  opening,  and  the  sailor  appeared  at  the 
edge  of  the  pit.  His  malicious  face  wore  so  ferocious  a 
look  that  Daniel  fairly  shivered. 

"  Well,"  cried  the  scoundrel,  in  a  rough  voice,  "  what  ails 
you  that  you  make  such  a  noise  down  there  ? " 

"  Have  done  with  your  jokes,"  said  the  Canadian,  "  and 
let  down  the  ladder.  We  want  to  come  up." 

"  In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Penguin,"  was  the  satirical  reply, 
"  I  must  ask  you  to  be  a  little  more  polite.  You  say  you 
want  to  come  up  :  I  Ve  nothing  to  say  against  it." 

"  Come,  Martigues,"  said  Daniel,  with  a  forced  laugh,  "  be 
reasonable.  We  Ve  been  working  a  whole  week  now  to 
please  you.  We  have  found  nothing,  but  we  can't  help 
that.  I  assure  you  that  there  is  no  more  gold  here.  Hand 
us  down  the  ladder." 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  307 

Dominic  sneered. 

"  I  'm  very  sorry,  Master  Daniel,"  he  said,  "  that  you  got 
into  such  bad  company  on  board  the  Atlanta.  But  I  wash 
my  hands  of  you,  and  leave  you  with  your  dear  Penguin. 
I  have  just  received  a  letter  summoning  me  to  Melbourne 
in  all  haste.  I  'm  in  a  great  hurry,  and  have  no  time  to 
waste  on  you.  But  you  may  depend  upon  it,  I  will  come 
back  as  soon  as  possible  to  see  that  you  have  n't  been  too 
unhappy  together  in  my  absence.  Don't  quarrel,  will  you  ? 
Good-by!" 

And  the  sailor  made  a  pretence  of  leaving  them. 

"  Dominic  !  Martigues  !  "  shouted  the  two  boys. 

The  rascal  reappeared. 

"Oh!  I  forgot,"  he  said;  and  he  burst  into  a  horrid 
laugh.  "  Look  in  the  portfolio,"  he  shouted  to  Daniel. 
"  Perhaps  you  will  find  Mrs.  Moreau's  address.  No  ?  Well, 
I  will  try  to  hunt  the  good  lady  up,  and  I  will  give  her  all 
sorts  of  tender  messages  from  you." 

"  Wretch  ! "  cried  Penguin,  who  now  perceived  the  sailor's 
abominable  plan. 

"  What  ? "  cried  the  ruffian ;  and,  drawing  his  revolver,  he 
took  aim  at  the  boy,  who  never  stirred.  But  after  glaring 
at  him  for  a  moment,  he  dropped  his  weapon,  saying :  "  No, 
it  will  be  much  more  amusing  to  leave  you  both  down 
there.  Good-by ! " 

And  he  vanished  for  the  last  time,  for  the  poor  boys 
heard  his  steps  die  away  in  the  distance.  They  were  alone, 


308  EXPIATION. 

with  no  hope  of  rescue,  at  the  bottom  of  a  shaft  thirty  feet 
deep. 

Up  to  the  very  last  moment,  Daniel  took  it  for  a  very 
bad  joke  on  Dominic's  part.  But  when  he  found  how 
abominably  the  villain  had  trapped  them,  he  sat  down  on 
the  muddy  ground  and  began  to  cry.  Penguin,  pale,  with 
clenched  fists,  stood  manfully  erect,  already  striving  with 
irrepressible  energy,  to  hit  upon  some  means  of  escape 
from  the  pit  where  they  were  condemned  to  die  of  hunger. 

"  This  time,"  sobbed  Daniel,  "  we  are  lost  indeed.  Why 
has  Providence  preserved  us  so  often,  merely  to  meet  with 
such  an  awful  fate  ? " 

"  Have  n't  I  frequently  told  you,"  gravely  responded  the 
young  Canadian,  "  that  it  is  cowardly  to  yield  to  despair, 
which  only  lowers  a  man,  and  leads  him  more  surely  to 
his  ruin  ? " 

"  Martial,  how  happy  you  are  never  to  lose  that  innate 
hope  which  sustains  you,  and  helps  you  to  surmount 
every  danger !  And  to  think  that  it  was  I  who  dragged 
you  down  with  me  into  this  living  tomb !  I  am  punished 
for  all  my  sins.  Bastien's  last  words  are  confirmed.  '  In 
this  life,'  said  the  dying  man,  'good  intentions  are 
nothing,  actions  only  avail,  and  the  wicked  are  always 
punished.'  Once  before,  I  yielded  to  that  Dominic's  trea- 
cherous advice,  and  violated  the  secret  which  was  confided 
to  me ;  and  then  again  I  was  deaf  to  your  counsels,  and 
listened  to  the  wretch  who  has  condemned  us  both  to  the 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  309 

most  frightful  tortures !  But  is  it  just  that  an  innocent 
fellow,  like  you,  should  expiate  my  crimes  ?  I  would  give 
my  gold,  my  life,  to  that  devil,  to  save  your  life.  Oh,  how 
miserable  I  am  !  "  And  he  began  to  sob  piteously. 

"Come,  Daniel,  be  calm,"  said  his  comrade  gently. 
"  The  punishment  seems  to  be  disproportionate  to  your 
faults,  which  must  have  been  long  since  forgiven.  Those 
are  the  true  criminals  who,  taking  advantage  of  your  in- 
experience and  the  very  generosity  of  your  heart,  led  you 
astray.  They  alone  deserve  to  expiate  their  crimes ;  and 
we  must  escape  from  this  prison,  if  only  to  deal  out  jus- 
tice to  them." 

"  Escape  ? "  muttered  Daniel.  "  You  cannot  hope  to 
pierce  these  stone  walls  ? " 

"  No,  it  would  take  too  long  to  work  a  gallery  through 
this  enormous  mass  of  earth ;  besides,  our  strength  would 
soon  give  out  without  food.  We  must  find  some  other 
plan.  Come,  Daniel,  get  up ;  have  courage !  If  we  must 
die,  don't  let  us  yield  without  a  struggle." 

The  young  Frenchman,  as  if  electrified  by  these  brave 
words,  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  threw  his  arms  around  his 
friend's  neck,  exclaiming :  — 

"Here  I  am,  Martial.  I  am  ready.  See,  my  tears 
are  dried !  " 

Penguin  returned  his  embrace,  saying :  — 

"  First,  let  us  try  to  break  away  some  of  the  planks 
which  wainscot  the  gallery.  Perhaps  we  can  build  a 


310  EXPIATION. 

scaffolding  with  them  high  enough  to  climb  out  of  the 
mine." 

A  few  strokes  of  their  picks  provided  them  with  a  num- 
ber of  boards,  which  they  joined  together  to  a  height  of 
nine  feet;  but  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  raise  it  any, 
higher.  Every  time  they  tried  to  add  a  second  story  of 
planks,  the  whole  mass  tumbled  about  their  heads.  Once 
they  narrowly  escaped  being  buried  under  the  boards,  and 
were  both  severely  bruised. 

"We  must  try  something  else,"  said  Penguin  finally. 
"  We  shall  never  succeed  in  this  way.  If  we  only  had 
some  nails !  But  I  have  not  found  one  in  the  whole  of 
this  woodwork,  which  is  merely  mortised  together." 

Meanwhile  night  overtook  them,  and  darkness  added  to 
the  agony  of  their  situation.  Worn  out  with  work,  having 
eaten  nothing  since  the  previous  day,  the  two  boys  were 
still  obliged  to  remain  on  their  feet ;  for  the  ground  had 
changed  to  a  mass  of  liquid  mud.  However,  they  con- 
trived to  make  a  sort  of  raft  of  the  boards,  upon  which 
they  stretched  themselves. 

The  stars  shone  overhead  with  a  splendor  rendered 
more  dazzling  by  the  fact  that  the  pit  formed  a  sort  of 
gigantic  telescope.  But  towards  midnight  the  sky  clouded 
over,  large  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall  on  their  faces,  and 
forced  them  to  seek  shelter  in  the  gallery.  Soon  the  hur- 
ricane burst  upon  them,  and  a  perfect  deluge  poured  into 
the  mine. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  311 

The  water  grew  higher  and  higher.  At  the  end  of  an 
hour  the  boys  were  knee-deep  in  it.  They  stood  silently 
shivering,  overwhelmed  by  the  successive  blows  levelled  at 
them  by  a  cruel  fate. 

"  We  shall  be  drowned  !  "  cried  Daniel.  "  The  water  has 
reached  my  waist." 

"  Drowned ! "  repeated  Penguin,  as  if  suddenly  struck 
by  the  word.  "  Drowned ! " 

Then  he  exclaimed  :  — 

"  Take  your  pick,  Daniel,  and  follow  me.  We  may  yet 
be  saved." 

With  these  words,  he  rushed  farther  into  the  gallery. 
Daniel  felt  his  way  slowly  after  him. 

On  reaching  the  spot  where  'they  had  been  working  the 
day  before,  they  found  the  lamp  still  hanging  to  the  wall, 
and  giving  out  a  feeble  light.  Penguin  studied  the  rock 
carefully,  and  in  a  few  moments  discovered  one  of  the 
springs  which  they  had  stopped  up.  He  at  once  dealt  it 
a  few  vigorous  blows,  and  the  water  gushed  forth  in  a 
tiny  stream. 

"  Do  as  I  do,"  he  said  to  Daniel.  "  We  must  make  a 
broad  bed  for  the  stream." 

"  But  —  ? "  asked  the  amazed  French  boy. 

"  Work  with  a  will.  I  have  no  time  for  explanations 
now?" 

The  two  lads  set  eagerly  about  cutting  away  the  wall. 
The  water  poured  in  more  abundantly.  A  few  additional 


312  EXPIATION. 

strokes,  and  the  liquid  sheet,  finding  a  large  outlet,  burst 
forth  with  such  force  that  Daniel  came  near  being  knocked 
down. 

"  Now,  run ! "  cried  the  Canadian  ;  and,  snatching  up 
the  lamp,  he  fled  from  the  gallery,  which  the  water  filled 
with  fearful  speed. 

At  last  they  reached  the  pit.  The  torrent,  for  which 
they  had  opened  a  way,  rushed  furiously  after  them.  In 
an  instant  the  water  rose  breast-high. 

Penguin  seized  two  broad  boards;  and  taking  off  his 
belt,  he  tied  them  together  with  a  loose  knot,  sufficiently 
firm,  however,  to  prevent  them  from  floating  apart. 

"  Do  you  understand  now  ?  "  he  said  to  Daniel.  "  Get 
astride  these  planks." 

"  I  understand,"  replied  his  comrade,  hauling  himself 
upon  the  impromptu  raft.  "But  do  you  hope  that  the 
water  will  raise  us  to  the  mouth  of  the  pit  ? " 

"I  think  it  will,"  said  the  Canadian.  "The  spring 
which  we  have  just  set  free  must  be  fed  by  the  waters  of 
the  great  plain  that  overlooks  the  valley,  in  which  case  it 
will  play  the  part  of  an  artesian  well.  The  water  will 
seek  to  rise  to  its  own  level,  and,  finding  no  other  outlet, 
will  rise  to  the  mouth  of  this  rocky  pit,  or  well" 

The  clever  boy's  hypothesis  was  correct.  The  water 
rapidly  filled  the  pit.  The  entrance  to  the  gallery  was 
already  covered,  and  the  foaming  whirlpool  rose  ever 
higher  and  higher. 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  313 

At  daybreak  the  raft,  with  the  loose  planks  and  posts 
which  the  water  brought  up  with  it,  was  scarcely  nine  feet 
distant  from  the  mouth  of  the  shaft ;  but  at  this  point  the 
torrent  paused.  From  this  point  upwards  the  rock  gave 
place  to  earth  ;  and  the  water,  soaking  into  the  damp  soil, 
trickled  away  imperceptibly. 

Penguin  soon  discovered  this  fact.  The  case  became  a 
puzzling  one.  This  time  it  was  left  for  Daniel  to  solve  the 
riddle.  Dominic,  in  his  hasty  flight,  had  neglected  to  pull 
up  the  post  driven  down  into  the  shaft  to  hold  the  ropes 
for  the  buckets  with  which  the  water  was  bailed  out. 
The  young  Frenchman  took  off  his  long  woollen  sash,  and, 
carefully  balancing  himself  on  the  unsteady  raft,  skilfully 
threw  it  around  the  post.  One  end  fell  close  beside  him. 
He  fastened  it  to  the  other  end,  which  he  held  in  his 
hand ;  and,  turning  to  Penguin,  who  was  watching  him 
curiously,  he  said,  "  You  shall  go  up  first." 

Without  a  word,  the  Canadian  climbed  hand  over 
hand  along  this  impromptu  rope,  and  reached  the  post. 
Then  he  stopped,  turned,  and  held  out  his  hand  to  help 
Daniel  after  him. 

A  moment  after,  the  boys,  clasped  in  each  other's  arms, 
offered  their  grateful  thanks  to  Heaven,  which  had  snatched 
them  from  death  once  more. 

Their  first  glance  was  directed  to  the  place  where  their 
camp  had  stood,  near  the  "  big  boulder."  What  was  their 
surprise  to  see  that  the  tent  was  still  there !  They  ran 
towards  it. 


314  EXPIATION. 

Eager  to  escape,  and  anxious  to  cross  the  desert  as 
quickly  as  possible,  Dominic  had  piled  gold  and  provisions 
upon  one  mule,  and  mounted  the  other  himself.  He  was 
therefore  obliged  to  leave  behind,  not  only  the  tools,  but 
also  the  shelter-tent,  and,  what  was  still  more  important 
to  the  poor  castaways,  a  certain  amount  of  food. 

The  boys  were  therefore  able  to  refresh  themselves  with 
a  good  meal  of  bacon  and  boiled  rice.  Then  they  lay 
down  in  the  tent  to  enjoy  the  rest  which  they  needed  so 
much  after  twenty-four  hours  of  keenest  agony  and  in- 
cessant toil 

When  they  awoke  the  sun  had  travelled  once  round  the 
entire  earth.  Nothing  detained  them  longer  in  the  melan- 
choly valley  whither  they  came  to  seek  their  fortune  ;  so, 
loading  themselves  with  all  the  food  that  they  could  carry, 
they  turned  back  with  heavy  hearts. 

Having  crossed  the  Murray,  they  came  upon  the  desert. 
How  awful  and  how  desolate  the  vast,  bare  plains,  with 
their  glittering  lagoons,  appeared  to  them !  The  first  time 
that  they  traversed  them  an  indescribable  ardor  kept  up 
their  courage;  they  seemed  to  see  beyond  the  barren 
waste  the  magic  goal  toward  which  they  were  hastening : 
while  now  they  dragged  themselves  wearily  over  the 
scorching  sand,  bringing  nothing  back  from  their  expedi- 
tion but  sorrow  and  discouragement. 

Poor  Daniel !  all  his  fair  dreams  of  the  future  had  flown. 
After  a  momentary  glimpse,  if  not  of  wealth,  at  least  of 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  315 

peace  and  happiness,  —  for  he  naturally  thought  that  Mrs. 
Moreau  would  not  let  their  devotion  go  unrewarded,— 
he  must  return  to  his  toilsome  life  as  a  sailor,  and  bid 
farewell  forever  to  such  castles  in  the  air.  Luckily,  Bas- 
tien's  portfolio  had  escaped  Dominic's  greed.  Perhaps 
some  day  the  French  boy  might  fulfil  the  mission  confided 
to  him.  This  was  his  one  consolation  amid  all  his  bitter 
woes. 

Unfortunately,  the  rascally  thief  had  carried  off  thfe 
map  given  by  the  consul  to  the  boys,  who,  deprived  of  this 
indispensable  guide,  wandered  blindly  through  these  vast 
solitudes,  unable  to  tell  whether  their  journey's  end  were 
approaching  or  not. 

Their  joy  may  accordingly  be  imagined  when  they  came 
across  some  footprints  in  the  sand,  one  day.  On  exam- 
ining the  deep  impressions,  they  easily  recognized  the 
hoof-marks  of  two  heavily  loaded  mules.  Dominic  had 
undoubtedly  passed  that  way ;  but,  what  was  still  more 
surprising,  he  must  have  gone  by  very  recently,  scarcely  a 
day  since.  How  did  it  happen  that  the  thief,  who  was 
well  mounted  and  had  two  days  the  start  of  his  victims, 
had  made  no  greater  progress?  This  greatly  perplexed 
the  boys.  Still,  whether  these  were  the  footprints  of 
Dominic  or  of  some  other  traveller,  they  decided  to  follow 
them,  feeling  sure  that  they  would  lead  to  some  inhabited 
place. 

The  truth  was  that  the  thief  had  lost  his  way,  being 


316  EXPIATION. 

anything  but  familiar  with  the  use  of  a  map.  In  his  mad 
haste  he  fled  southwards,  and  reached  the  mountains  ;  but 
he  discovered  his  mistake  when  he  saw  that  there  was  no 
pass  across  this  rocky  wall.  Overcome  with  terror,  fearing 
that  his  food  would  give  out  in  the  desert,  he  turned  east- 
ward again  as  quickly  as  his  tired  mules  could  travel,  and 
it  was  only  the  night  before  that  he  had  crossed  the  point 
in  the  road  which  the  boys  had  just  reached. 

They  now  followed  his  track,  and  before  long,  by  cer- 
tain unmistakable  signs,  were  assured  that  they  were  close 
upon  the  fugitive. 

"  I  am  sure,"  said  Penguin,  stirring  up  a  pile  of  smoul- 
dering ashes  with  his  stick,  "  that  the  villain  can't  be  far 
off.  He  must  have  passed  the  night  on  this  very  spot, 
and  cannot  be  many  hours  in  advance  of  us." 

"  What  shall  we  do,"  asked  Daniel,  "  if  we  catch  up 
with  him  ? " 

"  We  must  beware  of  letting  him  see  us,"  said  the  Ca- 
nadian. "  He  took  care  to  carry  off  all  our  weapons,  and  I 
know  that  if  he  saw  us,  he  would  not  hesitate  to  shoot 
us  down  like  dogs.  If  he  did  not  do  so  at  the  mine,  it 
was  only  because,  in  his  savage  cruelty,  he  thought  that 
he  had  condemned  us  to  a  far  more  horrible  death.  We 
shall  therefore  do  well  to  follow  him  at  a  distance ;  and 
as  soon  as  we  get  into  civilized  regions,  we  will  hand  him 
over  to  the  police." 

"  Who  are  not  to  be  laughed  at  in  this  country,"  said 


THE   TWO  CABIN   BOYS.  317 

Daniel.  "  For  I  was  told  at  Melbourne  that  robbers  con- 
victed of  stealing  from  a  miner  were  hung  without  further 
legal  form.  But,  in  spite  of  this  severity,  it  seems  that  in 
mining  districts  there  are  almost  as  many  thieves  as  there 
are  honest  workers." 

Night  fell,  and  the  travellers  had  not  seen  hide  or  hair 
of  Dominic.  The  rolling  nature  of  the  ground  prevented 
them  from  seeing  more  than  a  short  distance  before  them. 
The  aspect  of  the  country  had  completely  changed.  The 
ground  was  covered  with  thick,  emerald-green  turf,  watered 
by  fresh  rivulets,  and  fine  trees  stood  here  and  there  in 
ever-increasing  numbers. 

"  Come,"  said  Penguin,  as  he  saw  the  sun  rise  upon  this 
smiling  scene,  "  I  really  believe  we  've  got  over  the  worst 
part  of  our  journey.  We  must  be  near  some  farm." 

Encouraged  by  this  hope,  the  boys  resumed  their  march. 
After  fording  a  pretty  little  river  they  climbed  a  high 
hill ;  and  from  the  top,  where  they  stopped  to  rest,  they 
gazed  over  a  broad,  grassy  plain,  sprinkled  with  beautiful 
groups  of  green  trees,  and  stretching  onward  to  a  line  of 
ragged  mountain-peaks  in  the  dim,  blue  distance.  A  few 
miles  off  they  distinctly  saw  a  group  of  houses,  with  thickly 
thatched  roofs  and  wide  piazzas. 

"  What  did  I  tell  you  ? "  said  Penguin,  pointing  to  them. 
"  In  a  couple  of  hours  we  shall  be  out  of  danger." 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "  and  Dominic  will  be  nicely  sur- 
prised to  find  us  on  his  heels." 


31 8  EXPIATION. 

"  To  be  sure.  "We  shall  probably  meet  him  at  that 
farm,  where  he  will  have  to  stop  as  well  as  ourselves. 
The  wretch !  cowardly  as  he  is  cruel,  he  will  shudder  at 
our  approach.  But  he  will  find  no  pity.  The  country 
must  be  rid  of  such  a  monster." 

As  they  talked,  they  descended  the  steep  slope  of  the  hill, 
the  foot  of  which  was  covered  with  thickets  of  dwarf 
acacias  and  gum-trees.  A  path,  evidently  formed  by  hu- 
man agency,  wound  along  through  the  underbrush. 

Daniel,  who  walked  first,  suddenly  uttered  a  cry  of  sur- 
prise. He  stooped  and  picked  up  a  scrap  of  fur,  which  he 
showed  to  Penguin. 

"  What  have  you  found  ?  "  asked  the  Canadian. 

"  What !   don't  you  recognize  Dominic's  fur  cap  ? " 

"  Of  course,  but  what  a  state  it  is  in !  Good  heavens  ! 
it  is  torn  to  tatters.  Only  look,  I  do  believe  it  is  covered 
with  blood." 

The  lads  did  not  know  what  to  think  of  this  treasure 
trove.  It  was  indeed  the  thief's  constant  head-covering. 
But  how  had  he  lost  it  ?  Whence  came  the  bloody  stains  ? 

Looking  around  him,  Penguin  soon  discovered  that  the 
ground  bore  marks  of  numerous  footsteps,  mingled  with 
which  were  the  marks  of  horseshoes.  Here  and  there  lay 
shreds  and  fragments  of  cloth,  half  covered  with  earth. 
The  neighboring  shrubs  were  heavily  sprinkled  with  blood 
in  places.  Everything  testified  to  a  violent,  desperate 
fight,  of  which  this  path  had  been  the  scene. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  319 

Stirred  by  a  strange  presentiment,  Daniel  searched  the 
thicket  by  the  roadside.  All  at  once  his  companion  heard 
him  shout :  — 

"  Martial,  I  have  found  him  ! " 

The  Canadian  flew  to  meet  him. 

At  Daniel's  feet  lay  Dominic's  corpse,  flat  on  its  back, 
the  face  turned  up,  and  disfigured  by  an  awful,  bloody 
wound,  running  from  ear  to  ear. 

Dumb  with  horror,  the  two  cabin  boys  stood  staring  at 
the  unfortunate  man.  How  did  he  die  ?  What  unhal- 
lowed hand  had  arrested  the  fugitive  in  his  flight  and 
snatched  his  treasure  from  him  ?  What  assassin  had  judged 
this  criminal  ? 

In  the  generosity  of  their  hearts,  the  boys  had  already 
forgotten  the  harm  that  Martigues  had  done  them.  The 
sight  of  this  corpse  stifled  their  wrath,  and  they  cursed  the 
mysterious  hand  that  had  destroyed  their  enemy. 

Suddenly  a  slight  convulsion  passed  over  the  villanous 
face.  His  right  arm  was  raised  as  if  imploring  mercy. 

"  He  lives  ! "  cried  Daniel. 

Without  an  instant's  hesitation,  the  French  boy  bent 
over  Dominic  and  lifted  him  in  his  arms.  Penguin  ran  to 
a  neighboring  brook,  and  soon  returning  with  a  cup  full  of 
water,  bathed  the  wounded  man's  face  with  a  wet  cloth. 

The  fresh,  cool  water  seemed  to  revive  the  poor  wretch. 
His  lips  half  opened  and  a  feeble  sigh  escaped.  With  in- 
finite care  the  boys  raised  him  from  the  ground,  and,  cany- 

21 


320  EXPIATION. 

ing  him  out  of  the  thicket,  propped  him  against  a  tree  by 
the  roadside. 

At  last  Dominic  slowly  opened  his  eyes.  His  glance, 
wandering  at  first,  quickly  fell  upon  the  sympathetic  faces 
of  the  two  boys.  Then,  as  if  struck  by  lightning,  he  sprang 
to  his  feet,  stretched  out  his  arms  as  if  to  drive  away  the 
frightful  vision,  and  exclaimed  in  a  terrible  voice :  "  Daniel ! 
Penguin  ! "  Then  falling  to  the  ground,  he  expired  with  a 
hoarse  cry,  his  mouth  filled  with  bloody  foam. 


''The  two  friends  were  surrounded  by  horsemen. 


CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

BEFORE   THE   SHERIFF. 

STARTLED  and  awed  by  this  tragic  end,  the  boys  silently 
gazed  at  the  luckless  Dominic's  distorted  corpse. 

"  His  punishment  was  speedy,"  murmured  Daniel.  "  The 
poor  fellow  was  struck  down  just  as  he  thought  he  had 
reached  the  topmost  aim  of  his  miserable  ambition.  But 
who  can  have  killed  him  ? " 

"  It  was  the  hand  of  God,"  said  Penguin  solemnly. 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  said  the  French  boy,  "  the  punishment 


322  BEFORE   THE   SHERIFF. 

was  too  startling  not  to  be  a  fearful  warning.     But  some 
human  agency  must  have  been  employed." 

"  Probably  it  was  one  of  those  desert  marauders  of  whom 
we  were  speaking  the  other  day.  Who  knows  whether 
Dominic  did  not  stumble  into  some  trap  which  he  had  pre- 
pared for  us  ?  Perhaps,  when  he  left  Melbourne,  he  ar- 
ranged with  one  of  his  worthy  comrades  to  strip  us  on  our 
return.  He  did  not  foresee  that  he  could  rob  us  so  easily 
unaided  and  alone,  and,  in  his  turn,  may  have  been  sacri- 
ficed by  his  accomplices." 

The  Canadian  had  hardly  uttered  these  words  when  the 
earth  shook  beneath  the  feet  of  galloping  horses,  and  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye  our  two  friends  were  surrounded 
by  a  body  of  horsemen  armed  with  revolvers,  who  rushed 
upon  them.  All  resistance  was  vain.  The  boys,  guessing 
that  they  were  in  the  power  of  Dominic's  murderers,  al- 
lowed themselves  to  be  seized  savagely  by  the  collar.  Two 
of  the  horsemen  dismounted,  and  fastening  the  prisoners  by 
a  long  rope  tied  round  their  wrists,  mounted  again,  and 
ordered  them  to  follow  after,  lavishing  upon  them  all  the 
insulting  terms  in  which  the  English  language  is  so 
rich. 

Penguin  tried  to  protest 

"  Why  do  you  take  us  prisoners  ? "  said  he  to  one  of  the 
men.  "  I  assure  you  that  you  won't  find  a  particle  of  gold 
in  our  pockets." 

"  That  makes  no  difference  to  us,  and  won't  alter  what 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  323 

you  have  done,"  replied  the  rider.  "  Come,  walk  along,  jail- 
birds ! " 

"  You  deserve  hanging  far  more  than  we  do,"  angrily 
cried  Daniel ;  but  his  imprudent  answer  only  brought  him  a 
smart  cut  across  his  back  from  a  whip ;  and  the  men  put- 
ting the  horses  into  a  trot,  the  poor  boys  had  to  run  fast 
to  escape  being  dragged  over  the  ground  or  trodden  under 
the  horses'  feet. 

In  fifteen  minutes  the  party  turned  into  a  vast  meadow, 
studded  with  groups  of  trees,  in  the  midst  of  which 
browsed  a  great  herd  of  fat  cattle  with  long  horns.  At 
the  end  of  the  meadow  stood  the  many  buildings  of  a 
European  farm,  in  front  of  which  stood  a  crowd  of  men, 
whose  cries  and  howls  were  heard  distinctly  at  this  dis- 
tance. 

Undoubtedly  the  appearance  of  the  party  had  been  sig- 
nalled; for  the  prisoners  saw  a  man  on  horseback  leave 
the  crowd  and  ride  rapidly  towards  them.  In  a  very  few 
moments  he  traversed  the  space  which  divided  them ;  and 
as  soon  as  he  was  within  ear-shot  he  stopped  his  horse, 
and  shouted :  — 

"  Well !     Is  there  any  news  ? " 

"  You  were  right,  Mr.  Eichard,"  said  one  of  the  men, 
respectfully  removing  his  hat :  "  the  robber  was  not  alone. 
We  saw  two  of  his  accomplices  this  morning  on  the  hill- 
top. They  were  doubtless  looking  for  their  leader;  but 
we  took  them  by  surprise,  just  as  they  were  audaciously 


324  BEFOKE   THE   SHERIFF. 

searching  the  poor  miner's  pockets.  Here  they  are,  —  two 
mere  children."  And,  turning  his  horse  aside,  he  pointed 
out  the  prisoners. 

The  man's  words  were  like  a  flash  of  light  to  Penguin. 
So  the  men  about  them  were  not  robbers,  but  only  angry 
colonists,  who  suspected  them  —  Daniel  and  himself  —  to 
be  the  accomplices  of  Dominic's  murderer.  Instantly  tak- 
ing advantage  of  this  discovery,  he  stepped '  forward  as  far 
as  the  rope  which  bound  him  allowed,  and,  addressing  the 
person  whom  the  horseman  had  called  Mr.  Richard,  he 
exclaimed :  — 

"  It  is  a  mistake,  sir.  We  are  innocent  of  any  crime. 
We  have  ourselves  been  —  " 

But  one  of  the  impromptu  police  cut  short  his  speech. 
Giving  a  quick  jerk  to  the  rope,  he  threw  him  down, 
crying :  — 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  scamp,  or  I  '11  send  a  bullet 
through  your  brains." 

"  Don't  be  unnecessarily  brutal  with  those  boys,  John," 
cried  Mr.  Richard.  "  I  have  already  informed  the  sheriff' 
of  French  Creek  of  what  has  occurred,  and  he  is  now  trying 
the  rascal  whom  we  caught  yesterday.  Your  two  prison- 
ers will  be  taken  before  him  directly,  and  he  will  try 
them  in  their  turn." 

So  saying,  the  colonist  wheeled  his  horse  and  galloped 
back  to  the  farm. 

"  The  sheriff ! "  grunted  John.     "  What  is  he  good  for  in 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  325 

such  a  case  ?     There  is  but  one  judge  for  highway  robbers, 
and  that 's  Judge  Lynch." 

"  Don't  be  distressed  !  "  said  a  fellow-rider,  with  a  laugh. 
"  Mr.  Martin,  the  new  sheriff,  is  quite  as  clever  as  Judge 
Lynch.  As  the  richest  land-owner  in  the  valley,  he  is 
more  interested  than  any  of  us  in  ridding  the  country  of 
vagabonds  and  marauders,  and  these  fellows  can  make 
their  minds  up  to  swing :  the  sheriff  will  not  disappoint 
them." 

A  few  moments  later  the  little  party  reached  the 
farm.  The  prisoners  were  surrounded  by  a  threatening 
mob,  and  Mr.  Richard  was  again  obliged  to  interfere,  and 
prevent  the  furious  crowd  from  executing  summary  jus- 
tice. By  the  sheriffs  orders,  the  boys  were  locked  up  in 
a  neighboring  stable  to  await  their  trial. 

"  After  all,"  said  Penguin  cheerfully,  "  although  these 
fine  fellows  handled  me  rather  roughly,  I  should  much 
rather  fall  into  their  hands  than  into  those  of  the  high- 
waymen." 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel ;  "  I  too  thought  at  first  that  we  were 
captured  by  brigands ;  but  the  fine  fellows,  as  you  call  them, 
who  clapped  us  into  prison  here,  might  have  let  us  explain 
the  matter  without  treating  us  so  savagely.  My  shoulders 
still  ache  with  the  slashing  of  one  of  their  whips." 

"What  else  could  you  expect?"  was  the  philosophic 
reply.  "  Those  are  the  little  accidents  of  life.  They  took 
us  for  robbers,  and  treated  us  as  such.  But  it  will  be 


326  BEFORE   THE   SHERIFF. 

perfectly  simple  for  us  to  explain  the  situation  to  the 
sheriff,  and  I  am  sure  that  those  who  treated  us  so  rudely 
will'be  the  very  first  to  apologize  to  us.  Stay !  I  hear 
approaching  footsteps.  They  have  come  for  us." 

The  stable-door  opened,  and  John  appeared. 

"  Come  along,  you  brats ! "  he  cried  in  a  rough  voice. 
"  It 's  your  turn  next." 

The  prisoners  rose  and  followed  him,  without  a  word. 

The  court  was  held  in  the  open  air,  hard  by  the  farm, 
beneath  a  huge  gum-tree,  whose  great  branches  seemed 
strong  enough  to  bear  the  weight  of  every  robber  in  the 
country.  The  sheriff,  Mr.  Martin,  presided,  seated  in  a 
common  straw  chair,  behind  a  table  upon  which  lay  the 
only  paraphernalia  of  this  primitive  form  of  justice,  —  a 
Bible  to  swear  the  prisoners  by,  and  a  code  of  laws.  The 
terrible  judge,  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  looked  so  gentle 
and  benevolent,  in  spite  of  his  tawny  beard,  that  the  boys 
felt  quite  reassured  at  the  sight  of  him.  They  therefore 
stepped  boldly  up  to  him,  and,  bowing  respectfully,  awaited 
his  questions. 

"You  are  accused,"  said  the  sheriff  gravely,  "of  having 
shared  in  the  murder  of  an  unfortunate  miner,  and  of  hav- 
ing maliciously  robbed  him  of  the  honest  fruits  of  his 
labor." 

"  My  comrade  and  I  are  both  entirely  innocent  of  the 
crime,"  replied  Penguin  firmly. 

"  Still,"  said  the  judge,  "you  cannot  deny  that  you  were 


THE   TWO   CABIN    BOYS.  327 

found  on  the  very  spot  where  it  was  committed.  The 
men  who  surprised  you  there  had  been  watching  you  for 
some  time.  They  saw  you  from  a  distance  as  you  ap- 
proached your  victim,  doubtless  to  make  sure  that  your 
work  was  fully  done  —  " 

"  All  this,"  eagerly  interrupted  Daniel,  "  is  but  a  fatal 
concurrence  of  circumstances.  We  left  Melbourne,  two 
months  ago,  in  company  with  the  very  man  so  foully 
murdered.  We  went  with  him  in  search  of  a  rich  placer, 
whose  existence  was  accidentally  revealed  to  us.  There, 
somewhere  near  the  Murray  and  the  Murrurnbidgee,  by 
unexpected  good  luck,  we  discovered  a  large  amount  of 
gold,  and  we  intended  returning  to  Melbourne  at  once, 
when  our  companion  succeeded  in  luring  us  into  a  trap, 
and  ran  off,  carrying  all  the  products  of  our  common  toil. 
Saved  by  a  miracle,  we  were  coming  hither,  utterly  desti- 
tute, when,  this  morning,  what  was  our  horror  and  dismay 
to  find  the  corpse  of  our  treacherous  comrade  stretched 
across  our  path.  But  he  was  not  quite  dead.  Forgetting 
our  anger,  we  tried  to  help  him  ;  but  the  poor  fellow  only 
opened  his  eyes  long  enough  to  recognize  us,  and  died 
with  a  curse  on  his  lips.  At  that  moment  we  were  taken 
prisoners  by  the  colonists." 

Daniel's  voice  had  such  an  accent  of  truth  in  it  that  the 
sheriff,  who  had  listened  attentively,  asked  him  more 
gently ;  — 

"  What  was  your  unfortunate  comrade's  name  ?" 


328  BEFORE   THE    SHERIFF. 

"  Dominic  Martigues.  He  was  a  sailor,  from  the  port 
of  Marseilles." 

"  You  are  French  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  my  friend  here  is  a  Canadian." 

"  Strange  ! "  muttered  the  sheriff.     Then  he  added :  — 

"  Do  you  know  this  man  ? '' 

The  boys  turned  their  heads  in  the  direction  to  which 
he  pointed,  and  saw  the  chief  prisoner,  hitherto  hidden 
from  them  by  the  crowd. 

The  murderer,  bound  hand  and  foot,  sat  beneath  the 
tree,  a  rope  around  his  neck,  one  end  of  which  was  already 
tied  to  a  branch.  He  was  a  short,  squat  fellow,  with  a 
dark  face  and  thick,  black  beard.  His  eyes  betrayed  the 
impotent  rage  which  swelled  his  breast.  He  had  listened 
coldly  to  the  examination  of  his  pretended  accomplices  ; 
but,  as  the  boys  turned  towards  him,  his  face  was  lit  up 
with  a  triumphant  smile. 

Penguin  stepped  forward,  and  in  a  firm  voice,  said :  — 

"  I  never  saw  the  man  before." 

As  for  Daniel,  the  sight  of  the  murderer  seemed  to  turn 
him  to  stone.  He  turned  pale,  stammered  out  a  few  words, 
and  dropped  his  head  .in  shame  and  alarm. 

All  this  did  not  escape  the  quick  eye  of  the  judge,  who, 
turning  to  the  French  boy,  continued  slowly :  — 

"  And  you,  do  you  know  this  man  ?  " 

Daniel  was  mute.  Penguin,  surprised,  urged  his  friend 
to  answer.  Suddenly  the  prisoner  exclaimed :  — 


ou  know  this  man  ? "  —  Page  a.'S. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  331 

"  Well,  Daniel,  is  that  the  way  you  deny  your  friends  ? 
Don't  you  remember  Mateo  Puig  ?  You  must  have  a  pre- 
cious poor  memory.  And  yet  we  Ve  done  more  than  one 
good  job  together." 

The  sheriff'  looked  attentively  at  the  boy,  and  then  said 
sternly  :  — 

"  Speak !     Is  what  this  man  says  true  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  Daniel,  utterly  crushed. 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  judge. 

"  What  the  man  says  may  be  true,"  cried  Penguin.  "  My 
friend  certainly  knew  him  in  earlier  days ;  he  was  fool- 
ishly led  into  mischief  by  him,  but  I  swear  before  God,  be- 
fore all  these  honest  people,  and  on  my  honor,  that  he  is  as 

innocent  as  I  am  of  the  crime  recently  committed  here, 

i 
that  since  we  were  wrecked  on  these  shores  he  has  never 

seen  the  rascal,  and  that  all  that  he  told  you  just  now  was 
the  truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 

The  young  Canadian,  fired  by  his  friendship,  put  such 
ardor  into  his  pleading  that  the  crowd  was  touched,  and 
began  to  applaud. 

The  sheriff,  too,  shared  in  the  general  emotion. 

"  Take  these  lads  back  to  prison,"  said  he  to  John.  "  I 
will  examine  them  more  at  my  leisure  presently." 

They  were  led  away. 

"  Daniel  Eiva,"  cried  the  robber,  "  when  you  go  back  to 
Castel,  tell  the  people  that  I  died  like  a  hero  to  restore  to 
you  the  fortune  which  another  deprived  you  of." 


332  BEFORE    THE    SHERIFF. 

"  Is  your  name  Daniel  Riva  ? "  asked  the  judge,  in  a 
voice  which  trembled  somewhat. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  you  are  the  son  —  ? " 

"  Of  Peter  Riva,  ex-keeper  of  the  lighthouse  at  Cette." 

"  Is  it  possible  ? "  murmured  Mr.  Martin. 

After  a  few  moments'  reflection,  he  added :  — 

"John,  remove  the  prisoners;  and  you,  Bob,  do  your 
duty." 

At  the  last  words  a  powerful  fellow  went  up  to  Mateo, 
seized  him  in  his  arms,  and,  in  spite  of  his  desperate  resist- 
ance, marched  him  up  the  rounds  of  a  ladder  resting  against 
a  branch  of  the  gum-tree.  Then,  jumping  down,  he  pulled 
away  the  ladder,  and  the  assassin,  hanging  by  the  neck, 
swung  aimlessly  about  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd,  who 
greeted  his  awful  convulsions  with  frantic  cheers. 

Daniel  hid  his  face  in  his  hands  to  avoid  this  fearful 
sight. 

The  two  cabin  boys  were  no  sooner  left  alone  in  the 
stable  which  served  as  their  prison  than  Penguin,  in  spite 
of  his  usual  generosity,  could  not  help  exclaiming  :  — 

"  So  you  knew  that  scoundrel  ? " 

"  I  am  a  disgrace  to  you,  I  suppose,  dear  Martial,"  said 
Daniel  bitterly.  "Yes,  I  did  know  that  abominable 
Mateo,  and  he  was  right  when  he  said  that  I  was  once  his 
accomplice,  —  an  involuntary  accomplice,  it  is  true,  but  still 
the  partner  in  his  guilt.  I  concealed  this  from  you  be- 


THE   TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  333 

'cause  I  wag  ashamed  of  it,  as  of  all  the  many  other  mis- 
deeds which  I  have  confessed  to  you.  You  see  what 
friends  I  had  :  Mateo  Puig  the  smuggler,  and  Dominic 
Martigues  the  thief,  both  assassins.  One  led  me  to  take 
my  first  step  aside  from  the  path  of  duty,  the  other  urged 
me  on  in  my  evil  course.  These  two  men  have  been  my 
evil  geniuses,  and  I  now  see  whither  they  would  have 
conducted  me.  My  father  was  right  when  he  said :  '  No 
fault  can  be  considered  small.'  I  was  only  lazy,  but  lazi- 
ness led  me  to  long  for  wealth  and  happiness  without 
trouble  or  work,  and  to  gain  this  end  I  became  the  tool  of 
desperate  men.  It  was  you,  Martial,  who  first  opened  my 
eyes  to  the  true  duty  of  mankind  in  this  world,  —  you, 
who  have  always  worked  hard,  lifting  up  your  head  with 
fresh  courage  whenever  fate  dealt  you  a  staggering  blow. 
If  God  grant  that  my  judges  acknowledge  my  innocence, 
you  shall  be  my  model  from  this  day  forth.  I  looked  for 
a  treasure,  and  I  have  found  it,  or,  rather,  let  me  say,  you 
gave  it  to  me ;  for  henceforth  I  will  have  no  fortune  save 
that  which  my  labor  may  procure  me." 

"  Well  said,  Daniel !  "  exclaimed  Penguin.  "  I  have  often 
told  you  that  you  were  better  than  you  supposed.  All 
memory  of  the  past  must  be  rubbed  out,  now  that  the  wit- 
nesses of  your  weakness  have  received  their  meet  punish- 
ment. We  will  work  together,  you  shall  be  my  brother, 
and  we  will  be  happy." 

"  But  if  the  sheriff  brings  me  in  guilty  ?" 


334  BEFORE   THE   SHERIFF. 

"  That  is  impossible.  They  shall  hang  me  before  they 
lay  a  finger  upon  you." 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  John  came  in. 

"  Follow  me,"  said  he.  "  Mr.  Martin  wishes  to  examine 
you.  But,  by  the  bye,"  he  added,  "  the  sheriff  ordered  me 
to  relieve  you  of  your  bonds." 

And  the  gaoler  grumblingly  untied  the  ropes  that  bound 
their  wrists. 

The  crowd  had  scattered,  but  Mateo's  body  still  dangled 
from  the  branch. 

John,  preceding  the  two  cabin  boys,  led  them  through 
a  courtyard,  filled  with  servants,  and  ushered  them  into  a 
large  room  on  the  lower  floor  of  the  house,  where  Mr. 
Martin  sat  at  a  table  with  Mr.  Eichard,  the  owner  of  the 
farm. 

"Come  in,  gentlemen,"  said  the  sheriff  kindly,  "and  sit 
down.  This  morning's  agitation  must  have  tried  you 
severely,  even  if  your  long  journey  had  not  already  fatigued 
you." 

The  poor  boys  were,  indeed,  exhausted,  and  they  took 
seats,  thanking  the  sheriff,  who  went  on  cheerfully :  — 

"  You  see  I  don't  treat  you  like  prisoners ;  but  you  must 
give  me  your  promise  not  to  leave  the  house  until  I  per- 
mit it." 

"  We  promise,"  said  the  Canadian  simply. 

"What  is  your  name?"  asked  the  sheriff.  "  I  don't 
think  you  told  me  before." 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  335 

"  Martial  Laverton,  otherwise  called  Penguin,  ex-cabin 
boy  on  board  the  Confederate  vessel  Atlanta." 

"  You  speak  French  ? " 

"  I  am  a  French  Canadian." 

"  Then  we  can  speak  our  own  language,"  said  the  judge 
in  French.  .(The  conversation  had  hitherto  been  in  Eng- 
lish.) "  Mr.  Richard  Temple,  my  good  neighbor  here,  is 
a  Frenchman  like  myself,  so  that  you  may  almost  consider 
us  your  countrymen.  If  I  still  hold  you  comparative  pris- 
oners, it  is  not  because  I  doubt  your  innocence.  Mr.  Mar- 
tial's warm  pleading  quite  convinced  me ;  but  your  name, 
Daniel  Riva,  was  all  that  was  needed  to  confirm  my  con- 
viction. I  cannot  believe  that  the  son  of  my  friend, 
Peter  Riva,  would  ever  turn  thief  and  assassin." 

"  Do  you  know  my  father  ? "  eagerly  asked  Daniel. 

"  Yes,  my  lad.  I  knew  him  well  in  my  native  city, 
Cette,  where  every  one  loved  and  respected  him." 

"  Oh  !  how  happy  I  am  ! "  cried  the  boy,  rising  to  press 
the  hand  which  Mr.  Martin  held  out  to  him. 

"  If  I  keep  you  here,"  continued  the  latter,  "  it  is  simply 
because,  in  my  capacity  as  judge  of  this  district,  I  cannot 
return  the  gold  stolen  from  you  by  your  companion  Mar- 
tigues,  which  was  found  in  the  possession  of  Mateo  Puig, 
his  murderer,  —  I  cannot  return  it  to  you,  I  say,  without 
making  sure  of  your  identity,  and  for  this  purpose  I  must 
write  to  Melbourne.  Now,  it  will  take  the  messenger 
some  time  to  go  and  to  return." 


336  BEFORE   THE   SHERIFF. 

While  Mr.  Martin  was  speaking  Daniel  seemed  to  be 
considering  something.  At  last  he  asked  the  sheriff' :  — 

"  Did  n't  you  say  that  you  came  from  Cette  ? " 

"  To  be  sure,  my  boy." 

"  Very  well ;  then  you  may  be  able  to  do  me  a  great 
favor  by  helping  me  to  find  the  rightful  owner  of  this 
gold,  the  cause  of  so  many  crimes." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  Mr.  Martin.  "  Did  n't  you 
and  your  comrade  here  find  this  gold  in  a  placer  near  the 
Murrumbidgee,  as  you  told  me  this  morning  ? " 

"Certainly,  sir;  but  the  gold  is  not  ours.  It  belongs  to 
Mr.  Moreau,  to  Mr.  Bastien  Moreau,  of  Cette,  or  rather  to 
his  widow." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  cried  the  sheriff,  in  a  faltering 
voice. 

"Here  is  the  story  in  a  nut-shell,"  answered  Daniel. 
"  Mr.  Bastien  Moreau,  returning  from  Australia,  was  ship- 
wrecked on  the  coast  of  France,  near  Cape  Cerberus,  close 
by  the  village  where  my  father  lives.  I  was  so  fortunate 
as  to  save  him  from  the  vessel  where  he  was  left  by  his 
companions,  who  thought  him  killed  by  the  fall  of  a  mast. 
Unhappily,  the  poor  man  did  not  survive  his  injuries,  and 
he  died  in  my  arms  at  my  father's  house.  Before  he  died 
he  confided  to  me  a  portfolio  containing  valuable  papers, 
begging  me  to  give  it  his  wife,  whom  he  supposed  to  be 
still  living  in  Cette.  I  went  to  that  city,  but  could  not 
find  Mrs.  Moreau.  The  portfolio  itself  was  stolen  from 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  337 

me  by  Dominic  Martigues,  who  was  killed  this  morning 
by  Mateo  Puig,  of  my  village.  Accidentally,  one  docu- 
ment escaped  the  robber's  clutch,  and  this  very  paper  con- 
tained the  plan  which  enabled  my  friend  and  myself  to 
discover  a  treasure." 

"So  then,"  interrupted  Mr.  Martin,  "you  regard  this 
treasure  as  belonging  to  Mrs.  Moreau  ? " 

"  Certainly,"  said  Daniel.  "  That  is  Martial's  opinion, 
and  it  is  also  mine.  Is  n't  it  yours  ? " 

"  You  are  good,  honest  boys  ! "  cried  the  sheriff,  with 
moistened  eyes.  "  What  you  consider  a  mere  act  of  hon- 
esty is  a  grand  and  noble  deed ;  for  you  have  done  it  sin- 
cerely and  with  your  whole  heart.  You  will  yet  receive 
the  reward  which  you  deserve." 

"  But  it  is  a  very  slight  thing,"  said  the  Canadian. 
"  And  the  only  reward  which  Daniel  asks  is  to  find  the 
lawful  owner  of  this  fortune." 

"  You  say  that  the  portfolio  was  stolen  from  you  ? "  said 
Mr.  Martin,  evidently  disturbed. 

"  It  was  taken  from  me,"  Daniel  replied ;  "  but  Dom- 
inic, not  finding  the  secret  which  he  sought,  returned  it 
to  me." 

"  And  you  still  have  it  ?  " 

"  Here  it  is,"  said  Daniel,  taking  the  portfolio  from  his 
bosom.  "  It  shall  never  leave  my  hands  again  until  I  can 
put  it  into  those  for  which  it  was  intended." 

Mr.  Martin,  breaking  down  completely,  rose,  and,  throw- 
ing his  arms  round  Daniel,  said :  — 


338  BEFORE   THE   SHERIFF. 

"  Come,  let  me  embrace  you !  Bastien  Moreau  was  one 
of  my  best  friends.  He  atoned  cruelly  and  long  for  a 
temporary  misdeed ;  but  I  will  aid  you  to  accomplish  his 
last  wishes.  I  will  go  home,  and  begin  my  search,  at  once. 
Stay  here  to-night.  To-morrow  my  friend  Richard  will 
bring  you  to  my  house ;  for  I  wish  you  to  be  my  guests." 

And  embracing  Daniel  once  more,  the  good  sheriff 
pressed  Penguin's  hand,  and  hastily  left  the  room  to  coa- 
ceal  the  emotion  which  brought  tears  to  his  eyes. 


"  The  boys  were  galloping  by  the  side  of  their  host." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

•  FRENCH   CREEK. 

WHEN  Daniel  sat  down  that  night  at  the  table  around 
which  Mr.  Richard  daily  assembled  all  the  men  em- 
ployed on  the  farm,  when  he  looked  at  the  abundant  but 
simple  meal  which  brought  a  smile  of  pleasure  to  the 
bright  faces  of  the  laborers,  he  again  wondered  if  he  were 
not  the  victim  of  a  dream.  But  no.  His  dear  friend 
Martial  was  beside  him,  eating  the  farm  fare  with  a  good 
relish,  and  chatting  pleasantly  with  their  host.  What  an 
eventful  day !  How  tragically  it  began,  and  yet  it  ended 
amid  joy  and  laughter. 


340  FRENCH  CREEK. 

Even  the  terrible  John  had  made  friends  with  his  for- 
mer prisoners. 

"  Who  would  ever  have  thought,"  he  said  to  Daniel, 
with  a  broad  grin,  "  that  we  should  be  supping  together 
to-night?  I  took  you  for  regular  villains  this  morning. 
It  would  n't  have  required  much  to  make  me  blow  out  your 
brains  with  my  revolver.  What  mistakes  people  do  make 
in  this  world!  Mr.  Eichard  told  us  a  little  while  ago 
that  you  were  .the  son  of  a  friend  of  Mr.  Martin,  the 
richest  and  most  respectable  man  in  the  place." 

Daniel  longed  to  know  who  this  Mr.  Martin  was,  who 
had  lent  them  such  timely  aid ;  but  he  dared  not  question 
John,  and  waited  until  he  could  obtain  further  particulars 
from  Mr.  Eichard. 

Supper  done,  the  laborers  left  the  room ;  and  the  boys 
were  alone  with  their  host,  who  said  kindly :  — 

"  I  hope  that  you  have  quite  recovered  from  the  agita- 
tions of  the  day.  There  is  nothing  like  a  nice  long  nap 
and  a  good  dinner  to  set  a  couple  of  sturdy  boys  like  you 
on  your  legs  again.  I  must  say  you  owe  a  great  deal  to 
Mr.  Martin  ;  for,  if  it  had  n't  been  for  him  I  fancy  your 
former  friendship  with  the  murderer  of  Martigues  would 
have  put  you  in  a  pretty  pickle.  In  this  country,  where 
law  scarcely  exists  and  where  robbers  are  plenty,  our  jus- 
tice is  expeditious,  and  more  than  one  man  as  innocent 
as  yourselves  has  undoubtedly  paid  dear  for  some  such 
mistake." 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  341 

"  I  shall  never  forget  what  Mr.  Martin  has  done  for  us 
as  long  as  I  live,"  said  Daniel. 

"  And  I  may  add,"  continued  Mr.  Kichard,  "  that  he  is 
not  a  friend  to  be  sneezed  at  He  came  scarcely  two  years 
ago,  and  settled  in  our  valley,  and  now  he  is  the  richest 
squatter  in  Victoria.  They  say  that  he  has  more  than  ten 
thousand  head  of  cattle.  Last  year  he  sent  at  least  twenty 
wagon-loads  of  wool  to  Melbourne." 

"How  did  he  make  so  much  money  in  so  short  a 
time?"  asked  Penguin,  struck  with  wonder  at  this  ac- 
count. 

"  Oh !  "  said  Mr.  Richard,  "  he  does  not  owe  it  to  his 
own  industry  alone.  French-Creek  Farm  was  settled  ten 
years  or  more  ago  by  one  of  our  compatriots,  Mr.  Belesta, 
who  made  a  great  fortune  in  mining,  and  left  this  estate 
to  his  widow,  Mr.  Martin's  sister ;  so  that  he  is  rather 
the  overseer  than  the  owner  of  French  Creek.  Thanks  to 
his  skilful  care,  the  property  is  increasing  in  value  every 
day.  You  can  judge  for  yourselves  to-morrow.  There  is 
not  a  handsomer  house  or  a  finer  park  in  Australia." 

"Mr.  Martin  invited  us  to  spend  several  days  with 
him,"  said  Daniel  reflectively. 

"I  fancy,"  replied  Mr.  Richard,  "that  you  will  both 
be  welcome  to  stay  there  as  long  as  you  like.  If  the  sea 
has  no  claims  upon  you,  and  if  the  pleasant  but  rough 
life  of  a  squatter  pleases  you,  my  neighbor  will  be 
glad  to  engage  two  such  smart  assistants." 


342  FRENCH   CREEK. 

"  Is  the  squatter's  life  a  very  hard  one  ? "  asked  Penguin. 

"  Heavens,  no ! "  said  Mr.  Richard.  "  Our  business  is 
extremely  simple.  It  merely  consists  in  guarding  from 
the  attacks  of  wild  dogs  or  of  thieves,  the  sheep  and  cattle 
which  graze  freely  over  the  vast  prairies  around  us.  Our 
shepherds,  instead  of  following  their  flock,  as  in  Europe, 
leaning  calmly  upon  their  crook,  gallop  perpetually  over 
the  plains,  with  a  gun  slung  across  their  back,  and  whip 
in  hand.  The  gun  is  to  destroy  the  prairie-dogs,  a  species 
of  wolf,  which  carry  off  our  sheep  by  hundreds,  and  the 
kangaroos,  which  devour  our  grass ;  with  the  whip  the 
stockman  —  as  we  call  the  herdsman  —  the  stockman  pur- 
sues runaway  cattle,  and  drives  them  back  to  their  proper 
pasture.  We  lead  a  rough  life,  I  can  tell  you  ;  but  those 
who  have  once  tried  it  are  never  willing  to  give  it  up  for 
any  other.  Life  in  the  open  air,  skimming  through  space 
on  the  back  of  a  swift  horse,  swooping  down  with  up- 
lifted whip  on  some  angry  animal,  conquering  him  and 
managing  him  as  you  will,  bringing  every  nerve  and 
muscle  in  your  body  into  constant  play,  —  all  this,  I 
assure  you,  is  far  superior  to  the  feverish  existence  of  a 
city,  or  even  to  the  disguised  slavery  of  a  seafaring  life." 

"  For  my  part,"  enthusiastically  exclaimed  Daniel,  "  I 
long  to  turn  squatter.  How  do  you  feel,  Martial  ?  " 

"  I  should  be  only  too  glad  if  Mr.  Martin  would  take 
me,"  answered  the  Canadian. 

"  Then,  that  is  not  all,"  resumed  Mr.  Richard,  who  loved 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  343 

to  dilate  on  the  details  of  a  squatter's  life.  "  You  ought 
to  be  here  when  the  sheep  are  brought  back  to  the  farm. 
They  come  flocking  in  from  every  point  of  the  compass, 
driven  by  men  on  horseback,  cheerily  cracking  their  whips. 
The  sheep  are  folded,  and  the  shearers  set  to  work.  When 
evening  comes,  the  woolly  fleeces  lie  mountain-high  before 
the  barns ;  then  tables  are  laid,  the  men  eat  and  drink 
and  make  merry,  —  they  dance,  and  forget  all  their  past 
calamities. 

"  But  it  is  late.  We  must  go  to  bed,  gentlemen ;  you 
must  feel  the  need  of  rest  after  such  an  eventful  day." 

What  a  comfortable  night  our  two  friends  spent  under 
Mr.  Richard's  hospitable  roof  !  They  thought  that  they 
had  never  slept  between  fresher,  whiter  sheets.  The  sun 
was  high  in  the  heavens  when  Mr.  Richard  came  into 
their  room,  and  woke  them  pleasantly. 

"  Come,  up  with  you ! "  he  cried.  "  I  promised  Mr. 
Martin  that  we  would  be  at  French  Creek  early,  and  we 
have  a  long  ride  before  us." 

The  boys  were  ready  in  a  few  minutes,  and  were  soon 
galloping  off  on  spirited  steeds  by  the  side  of  their 
host. 

The  country  through  which  they  passed  looked  like  a 
real  English  park.  The  prairie  stretched  before  them  like 
a  broad  lawn,  adorned  with  occasional  clumps  of  beautiful 
trees.  Copious  streams  murmured  over  the  stones  over- 


344  FRENCH   CREEK. 

grown  with  rushes  and  weeds.  Cattle  browsed  in  pictur- 
esque groups  on  every  side. 

The  view  recalled  the  valley  of  the  Glenelg  to  our 
heroes,  and  they  told  Mr.  Richard  of  their  great  surprise 
on  first  seeing  kangaroos.  Daniel  was  thus  led  to  speak 
of  Mr.  Friday,  who  guided  them  out  of  the  desert,  and 
escorted  them  to  Melbourne. 

"  NYhy,  I  know  your  Mr.  Friday,  with  his  everlasting 
'  Good  man,' "  cried  Mr.  Richard.  "  When  I  settled  in 
this  country  savages  were  very  plenty,  and  they  tried  to 
oppose  our  taking  possession.  The  greater  part  of  them 
were  forced  to  yield  to  us,  and  went  farther  north,  into 
the  wastes  beyond  the  Murray.  Mr.  Belesta,  who  was  a 
mild  and  amiable  fellow,  was  more  considerate  towards 
these  natives  than  we  were.  He  granted  them  land  on 
his  claim.  A  small  tribe  settled  there,  and  still  re- 
mains. Your  '  Good  man '  must,  I  think,  be  the  chief  of 
this  tribe.  Like  all  his  race,  he  dislikes  a  sedentary  life ; 
and  he  often  goes  off  with  his  family  on  lengthy  expe- 
ditions, from  which  he  faithfully  returns  to  French  Creek. 
You  must  have  met  him  on  one  of  these  sprees ;  and 
you  may  say  that  you  owe  your  escape  to  Mr.  Belesta's 
humanity,  for  an  ordinary  Australian  native  would  never 
have  taken  you  to  Melbourne." 

Two  hours  after  the  riders  left  the  farm,  the  high 
thatched  roofs  of  a  group  of  houses  appeared  through  the 
trees.  This  was  French  Creek. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  345 

Mr.  Martin  was  awaiting  them  impatiently.  They  had 
no  sooner  dismounted  than  he  clasped  them  in  his  arms, 
saying :  — 

"  You  have  come  at  last.  I  thought  you  would  never 
get  here  ! "  Somewhat  surprised  at  this  affectionate  re- 
ception, the  two  cabin  boys  followed  their  new-found 
friend,  who,  crossing  the  broad  piazza  which  surrounded 
the  house,  led  them  into  an  elegantly  furnished  parlor. 

A  middle-aged  lady  sat  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  and 
beside  her  was  a  young  girl,  with  long,  fair  hair,  a  pretty 
creature  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  years. 

"  Sister,"  said  Mr.  Martin,  in  a  trembling  voice,  as  he 
stepped  up  to  the  elderly  lady,  "  here  are  the  heroes  of  the 
delightful  story  which  I  told  you  last  night,  Mr.  Daniel 
Eiva  and  Mr.  Martial  Laverton." 

The  lady  slowly  advanced  to  meet  the  French  boy, 
saying  as  she  did  so :  — 

"  I  am  most  grateful  to  you,  Mr.  Kiva  —  " 

But  sobs  interrupted  her  words.  Throwing  her  arms 
around  his  neck,  she  covered  his  face  with  kisses. 

"  My  child,"  she  whispered,  "  I  am  she  whom  you 
seek." 

The  young  man's  emotion  was  so  great  on  hearing  these 
words  that  he  felt  his  legs  giving  way  beneath  him.  But 
Mr.  Martin  had  already  snatched  him  from  his  sister's 
embrace,  and  pressed  him  to  his  own  heart  with  stifling 
warmth. 


346  FRENCH    CREEK. 

"  Yes,  it  is  she,"  he  repeated.  "  This  is  my  sister,  poor 
Bastieu  Moreau's  widow." 

Mrs.  Moreau  then  kissed  poor  Penguin  in  his  turn, 
saying :  — 

"  Let  me  thank  you  too,  sir ;  for  I  know  all  that  you 
did  yesterday  for  your  poor  friend." 

After  a  few  moments  of  effusion,  when  every  one  had 
been  embraced  to  his  heart's  content,  at  Mrs.  Moreau's 
request  Daniel  gave  a  minute  account  of  the  wreck  of  the 
Australian  ship,  Bastien's  rescue,  his  death,  and  his  last 
words.  In  conclusion,  he  drew  the  portfolio  from  his 
bosom  and  handed  it  to  the  poor  widow,  saying  :  — 

"  Although  I  broke  my  promise,  and  opened  this  port- 
folio, I  was  bitterly  punished ;  and  I  hope,  madam,  that 
you  will  forgive  me." 

"You  require  no  forgiveness,"  said  the  good  lady. 
"  Let  me  now  explain  why  you  did  not  find  me  at  Cette 
when  you  sought  me  there. 

"  My  poor  husband  wrote  to  us  several  times,  begging 
us  to  come  out  and  join  him  in  this  country,  where  he 
had  made  a  large  fortune.  But  my  brother,  Mr.  Martin, 
opposed  our  going,  or  rather  he  dreaded  to  have  me  un- 
dertake so  long  a  journey  alone  with  my  dear  Madeline. 
In  his  devotion  to  us,  he  finally  determined  to  accom- 
pany us  himself.  We  accordingly  left  Cette  June  14, 
1863,  and  set  sail  for  Australia.  On  reaching  Melbourne, 
what  was  our  dismay  to  learn  that  my  husband,  who  had 


THE  TWO  CABIN  BOYS.  347 

assumed  the  name  of  Belesta  here,  his  mother's  name,  had 
started  for  France  three  months  previous.  Knowing 
that  his  only  object  in  doing  so  was  to  bring  us  back  with 
him,  we  could  do  nothing  but  quietly  await  his  re- 
turn. Two  months  later  a  dispatch  informed  us  that  the 
ship  which  conveyed  him  to  France,  the  Clyde,  was  lost, 
with  every  man  on  board.  Not  one  passenger  escaped 
the  disaster ;  even  their  bodies  were  swallowed  up  by  the 
sea. 

"  My  grief  knew  no  bounds.  At  first  I  thought  of  re- 
turning to  France.  But  my  husband  had  invested  all  his 
property  in  this  country  in  stock  difficult  of  conversion 
into  money.  By  my  brother's  advice  I  decided  to  remain. 
We  settled  at  French  Creek.  One  thing  added  wormwood 
to  my  bitter  cup,  and  that  was  that  I  knew  nothing  con- 
cerning my  beloved  husband's  death.  I  neither  knew 
the  mode  of  his  death,  nor  whether  his  body  received 
pious  burial.  So  you  can  easily  imagine  my  joy  when 
my  brother  told  me  yesterday  of  your  almost  miraculous 
advent.  To  you  I  owe  the  supreme  consolation  of  my 
sorrow,  —  the  last  memory  of  my  husband.  As  for  the 
treasure  which  you  discovered  at  such  a  cost  and  at  the  risk 
of  your  life,  I  am  only  too  glad  to  offer  it  to  you  and  your 
generous  comrade,  Mr.  Martial." 

"  I  regret,  madam,"  said  Penguin  hastily,  "  that  we  can- 
not accept  this  gold." 

"  And  why  not,  my  child  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Moreau.     "  You, 


348  FRENCH  CREEK. 

must  know  that  I  do  not  need  the  money  in  the  least. 
My  fortune  is  amply  sufficient  for  all  my  wants." 

"  That  may  be,  madam,"  said  the  Canadian ;  "  but  we 
do  not  need  it  either.  Two  cabin  boys  like  ourselves 
would  not  know  what  to  do  with  such  a  sum." 

"  The  only  thing  which  we  ask,"  added  Daniel,  "  is  per- 
mission to  remain  here  and  earn  an  honorable  living  by  our 
work.  Formerly  I  had  but  one  wish,  —  to  acquire  sudden 
riches  without  labor ;  but  I  know  now  what  such  wicked 
thoughts  have  brought  upon  me." 

".Very  well,"  said  Mrs.  Moreau,  with  a  smile.  "  I  will 
insist  no  more.  Your  wish  shall  be  granted.  You  shall 
remain  here  and  share  in  our  labors  ;  but  you  will  at  least 
permit  me,  I  hope,  to  consider  you  as  my  sons.  If  my 
poor  Bastien  justly  told  you. '  that  every  fault  is  punished 
sooner  or  later,"  I,  in  my  turn,  tell  you  that  a  good  ac- 
tion never  goes  unrewarded." 


fit" 


"  Peter  angrily  flung  the  letter  into  the  fire." 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

-   ALL'S   WELL   THAT   ENDS   WELL." 

SEVEN  years  have  passed  since  the  day  when  Daniel  bade 
farewell  to  his  native  village.  The  years  have  vanished, 
and  yet  nothing  seems  to  have  changed  in  Castel.  Peter 
Riva,  upright  and  alert  in  spite  of  his  white  hair,  still  pur- 
sues his  arduous  calling,  loved  and  respected  by  all ;  and 
although  good  Antoinette  has  not  ceased  sighing  for  her 
boy's  return,  she  is  somewhat  consoled  by  the  thought 


350  "ALL'S   WELL   THAT   ENDS   WELL." 

that  he  is  happy  away  from  her,  and  that  she  has  every 
reason  to  be  proud  of  him. 

Every  month  the  mail  brings  news  from  remote  Aus- 
tralia to  the  village.  Sometimes  Daniel  himself  sends  his 
parents  long  pages,  filled  with  expressions  of  love;  and 
sometimes  kind  Mr.  Martin  relates  the  prowess  of  his 
prot&jt.  If  we  may  believe  the  worthy  sheriffs  tales, 
Daniel  is  the  best  squatter  hi  Victoria. 

"  I  know  but  one  young  man  in  the  country,"  he  says 
in  one  of  his  letters,  "  who  is  equal  to  our  Daniel  in  intel- 
lect, energy,  and  sagacity;  and  that  young  man  is  his 
friend  Martial,  or  Penguin,  as  he  laughingly  dubs  himself. 
It  was  indeed  the  hand  of  Providence  that  sent  these  two 
lads  to  me  at  an  opportune  moment,  and  I  cannot  tell 
how  I  should  get  along  without  them  now.  Thanks  to 
them,  we  have  extended  our  pasture-lands  to  the  Murray, 
and  our  wool-crop  has  doubled  since  they  came.  There- 
fore, my  dear  Mr.  Eiva,  we  all  unite  once  more  in  begging 
you  to  come  out  and  join  your  son  hi  Australia.  We 
have  plenty  of  room,  depend  upon  it,  and  your  arrival 
will  complete  our  family  circle." 

But  every  time  that  Mr.  Martin  returned  to  the  subject 
in  his  letters,  Peter  said :  "  I  am  too  old  to  change  my 
country.  I  have  fastened  my  shell  to  these  rocks,  and  here 
I  shall  die." 

Antoinette  would  gladly  have  braved  every  danger  and 
crossed  every  sea  in  the  world  to  see  her  son  again ;  but, 


yielding  to  her  husband's  will,  she  merely  said :  "  Daniel 
will  come  back." 

One  day  Peter  said,  in  his  turn :  "  Daniel  must  come 
back." 

For  grave  events  were  now  stirring  the  country,  which 
appealed  to  all  its  children  for  aid.  War  was  no  sooner 
declared  on  the  fifteenth  of  July,  1870,  than  one  disaster 
followed  so  fast  upon  another  that  in  six  weeks  France  was 
left  without  an  army.  Every  man  of  spirit  rushed  into 
the  ranks,  and  those  who  lived  in  foreign  lands  hastened 
home  to  take  their  places  with  their  fathers  and  brothers. 

"Daniel  must  come  back,"  repeated  Peter  Biva.  And 
when  the  news  came  of  the  defeat  at  Sedan,  the  old  pilot 
wrote  to  his  son,  and  ordered  him  to  return  instantly  to 
France. 

September  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  Peter's  impa- 
tience grew  greater  every  day.  In  vain  did  old  John  Cer- 
dagnol  join  with  Antoinette  to  allay  his  anger  by  telling 
him  that  reckoning  the  time  necessary  for  the  delivery  of 
the  letter,  together  with  that  of  the  voyage  from  Australia 
to  France,  even  by  the  rapid  way  of  the  Suez  Canal, 
Daniel  could  not  be  there  for  two  months  yet. 

"  I  don't  care  a  bit,"  obstinately  answered  Peter.  "  My 
son  did  not  need  my  letter  to  teach  him  his  duty:  he 
ought  to  be  here,  that's  all  I  know." 

At  last,  on  the  first  of  October,  the  postman  brought 
Peter  a  paper,  and  at  the  same  time  a  letter  post-marked 

23 


352  "ALL'S   WELL  THAT   ENDS   WELL." 

Melbourne.  The  paper  was  an  order  for  Daniel  Eiva  to 
join  the  Second  Battalion  of  light  troops  in  garrison  at 
Lyons,  without  delay.  The  letter  was  from  Mr.  Martin. 
Peter  glanced  through  the  first  lines. 

"  In  view  of  the  weighty  resolution  which  we  are  on 
the  point  of  making,"  wrote  Mr.  Martin,  "  I  feel  that  tha 
time  has  at  last  come  to  break  the  silence  which  I  have 
hitherto  observed  in  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
your  son's  future.  Daniel  started  yesterday  for  Mel- 
bourne —  " 

"  At  last ! "  cried  Peter,  and  he  turned  the  page  with  a 
trembling  hand ;  but  the  letter  went  on  :  — 

"  —  whence  he  will  return  next  week." 

"  What  does  this  mean  ? "  exclaimed  the  pilot ;  and  he 
read  eagerly  on.  Mr.  Martin  informed  Peter  that  Mrs. 
Moreau  had  decided  to  take  the  two  young  men  into  part- 
nership; and,  moreover,  having  noticed  Daniel's  lively 
affection  for  Madeline,  she  was  ready  to  give  him  her 
daughter's  hand. 

"  I  cannot  doubt,"  concluded  Mr.  Martin,  "  that  you 
will  consent  to  the  match.  Daniel  is  nearly  twenty-two 
years  old ;  Madeline  is  eighteen.  I  assure  you  they  will 
make  the  prettiest  pair  imaginable.  Need  I  say  that  my 
charming  niece  is  one  of  the  chief  conspirators  in  the  plot 
against  our  handsome  cabin  boy  of  the  Atlanta,  our  bril- 
liant squatter  on  the  Murray  ?" 

"  It 's  no  time  to  talk  of  marrying  now,"  cried  Peter 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  353 

angrily,  flinging  the  letter  into  the  fire.  "  What  do  I  care 
for  the  Atlanta,  the  Murray,  or  for  all  Australia  put  to- 
gether! Every  drop  of  blood  in  my  veins  belongs  to 
France ;  and  if  my  son  denies  his  debt,  I  must  pay  it  for 
him,  despite  my  white  hair." 

"  But  you  cannot  go  to  the  war,"  said  Antoinette,  trem- 
bling from  head  to  foot. 

"  My  son  must  have  a  substitute,"  replied  the  old  man, 
"and  I  have  none  to  give  but  myself.  The  thing  is 
settled:  I  shall  enlist  to-morrow." 

Night  came.  Antoinette  lighted  the  candle,  and  began 
to  lay  the  table  for  the  evening  meal.  The  poor  woman 
hid  her  tears  as  best  she  could ;  for  her  husband  had 
spoken,  and  she  knew  that  nothing  would  shake  his 
resolve. 

Would  fate  deprive  her  of  this  last  loyal  companion  of 
her  life,  and  leave  her  alone,  childless  and  husbandless  ? 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  a  young  man,  in 
handsome  travelling  dress,  entered  the  room.  Respect- 
fully removing  his  hat,  and  thus  displaying  a  mass  of  light, 
silky  curls  waving  loosely  about  a  face  full  of  kindness 
and  amiability,  he  said  to  the  astonished  couple :  — 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  sudden  entrance ;  but  I 
knocked  several  tunes  at  the  door,  and  no  one  came." 

"  What  do  you  want,  sir  ? "  said  the  old  fisherman. 

"  Mr.  Peter  Riva,"  said  the  stranger, 

"  I  am  he." 


354        "  ALL  'S  WELL  THAT  ENDS  WELL." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  reached  Marseilles  from  Melbourne  yes- 
terday, and  did  not  wish  to  delay  longer  bringing  you 
news  of  your  son." 

"  My  son  is  well  ? "  cried  the  mother. 

"  Perfectly  well,  madam." 

"  What  do  I  care  ? "  said  Peter,  in  a  sulky  tone.  "  Are 
you  a  Frenchman  ? " 

"  Yes  and  no,"  replied  the  stranger.  "  I  am  a  Canadian ; 
but  I  consider  France  as  the  home  of  my  ancestors,  and  in 
that  quality  I  claim  the  right  of  serving  her." 

"That  is  right,  sir,"  said  the  pilot,  offering  his  hand 
warmly  to  the  young  stranger ;  "  but  my  son  is  a  French- 
man, and  what  is  devotion  in  you  is  simply  duty  in  him." 

"  Who  says  that  your  son  is  not  as  ready  to  serve  his 
country  as  I  am  ? "  replied  the  young  man. 

For  some  time  Antoinette  had  not  taken  her  eyes  from 
the  stranger's  face,  and  at  these  words  she  hurried  towards 
him,  and  seizing  him  by  the  arm,  exclaimed :  — 

"  You  are  Martial,  the  cabin  boy  of  the  Atlanta,  Daniel's 
friend  and  comrade !  " 

"  The  very  same,  madam." 

"  Then  my  son  is  here !  He  would  never  have  let  you 
come  without  him." 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  her  mouth  when  she 
was  clasped  in  two  strong  arms,  while  a  joyful  voice  cried 
in  her  ear :  — 

"  No;  indeed,  dear  mother,  Martial  did  not  come  alone." 


'He  saw  his  father  standing  by  the  hearth  with  outstretched  arms."  —  Page  357. 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  357 

And  Daniel,  who  had  hitherto  hidden  behind  the  door, 
lovingly  embraced  his  almost  fainting  mother.  After 
showering  her  with  kisses,  he  seated  her  tenderly  in  the  old 
arm-chair;  then,  turning,  he  saw  his  father  standing  by 
the  hearth  with  outstretched  arms.  The  pilot's  eyes  were 
full  of  tears,  and  pressing  his  idolized  son  to  his  heart, 
he  murmured :  — 

"  Forgive  me,  for  I  doubted  you." 

The  evening  was  very  short  to  the  happy  parents. 
Daniel  and  Penguin  spent  the  entire  night  in  telling  their 
adventures ;  then  next  morning  they  left  Castel  to  join  the 
army. 

Two  days  after,  they  were  enrolled  in  General  Bour- 
baki's  regiment.  But  why  return  to  those  melancholy 
days,  during  which  France  seemed  to  expiate  all  her  past 
folly  by  cruel  suffering  ? 

The  army  of  the  East,  surrounded  in  its  turn  by  an 
enemy  of  ten  tunes  its  own  numbers,  was  forced  to  retreat 
rapidly  across  snow-capped  mountains.  The  Swiss  fron- 
tier was  at  hand,  and  there  charitable  hands  received  the 
unfortunate  soldiers,  as  many  of  whom  perished  by  cold  as 
by  the  sword  of  the  Uhlans. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  retreat  Martial  fell,  his  breast 
pierced  by  a  bullet,  but  Daniel  managed  to  carry  his  friend 
off  on  his  back,  and  bore  him  beyond  the  frontier. 

The  poor,  wounded  Canadian  was  taken  to  a  hospital  in 
Bern,  where  Daniel  nursed  him  tenderly,  watching  and 


358  "ALL'S    WELL   THAT    ENDS   WELL." 

hoping  for  the  return  to  life  and  strength  confidently  prom- 
ised by  the  surgeon. 

At  last  the  longed-for  day  arrived.  On  a  glorious  spring 
morning  Martial  opened  his  eyes  once  more.  His  glance, 
at  first  vacant,  dazzled  by  the  strong  sunshine,  wandered 
vaguely  about  the  room ;  it  soon  fell  upon  Daniel.  Then 
the  Canadian  recognized  his  friend,  stretched  out  his  arms 
to  him,  and  the  two  were  clasped  in  a  long  and  tender 
embrace. 

"  First  of  all,"  said  Daniel  to  the  wounded  man,  "  let 
me  give  you  what  the  general  sent  you  the  other  day." 
And  he  handed  him  a  medal. 

"  The  medal  for  me  ?  Oh !  this  is  too  much  happiness," 
cried  the  Canadian.  "  Besides,  you  deserve  it  far  more  than 
I  do,  —  you,  who  fought  like  a  hero,  and  who  carried  me 
from  the  field  of  battle  amid  a  rain  of  bullets.  For  this 
time,"  he  added,  with  a  smile,  "  you  cannot  deny  that  you 
saved  my  life." 

"  Oh !  only  once,"  said  Daniel  merrily.  "  I  am  by  no 
means  even  with  you  yet,  and  I  hope  I  shall  never  have 
occasion  to  fully  pay  my  debt.  As  for  the  medal,  you 
earned  it  a  hundred  times  over  in  the  battles  before  our 
rout.  So,  keep  it :  it  is  only  your  due.  And  to-morrow, 
when  you  are  up  and  dressed,  as  the  doctor  says  you 
may  be,  you  can  pin  it  on  your  coat  to  receive  Mrs. 
Moreau  —  " 

"  Mrs.  Moreau  ? "  interrupted  Martial 


THE   TWO   CABIN   BOYS.  359 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Moreau  and  Mr.  Martin  and  my  father 
and  my  dear  mother.  They  have  all  been  here  for  two 
months,  and  we  have  only  been  waiting  for  you  to  get 
well  to  celebrate  my  marriage  to  Madeline." 

"  Oh  !  this  splendid  budget  of  news  will  soon  set  me  on 
my  feet  again." 

"  So  we  all  hope,  and  I  more  than  any  one  else,"  said 
Daniel. 

"  Forgive  me,"  said  the  Canadian,  with  some  hesitation, 
"  but  do  you  intend  to  return  to  Australia  ? " 

"  Gracious,  no  !  my  dear  fellow.  France  needs  all  her 
sons  now.  Mrs.  Moreau  has  sold  the  property  at  French 
Creek,  and  has  obtained  a  large  grant  of  land  in  Algeria  for 
us,  where  we  can  use  our  squatter  experience  to  great  ad- 
vantage." 

"  And  what  shall  I  do  ? "  timidly  asked  Martial. 

"  You  !  Why,  you  will  go  with  us  !  Are  n't  you  half- 
owner  of  the  new  estate  ?  How  could  I  live  without  you, 
to  whom  I  owe  all  that  I  am,  all  that  I  have  ?  Though  you 
have  forgotten  it  so  soon,  I  shall  always  remember  that 
your  example  saved  me  from  infamy  and  ruin  by  showing 
me  that  happiness  in  this  world  can  onty  be  founded  on 
industry  and  honesty." 


University  Press :   John  Wilson  &  Son,  Cambridge. 


